Finding Bliss
by Yashodoa
Summary: Alternative ending from Bliss by Mike Loader and Laura Bartram starting at Part 8. A what-if ending that took a different direction where Ranma and Kuno returned to Japan from the island. Their memories recovered, their personalities merged and they have to find bliss all over again. Ranma/Tatewaki
1. Chapter 1

**Finding Bliss**

Preface:

This is the alternative ending to Bliss written by Mike Loader and Laura Bartram. The story was written around 20 years ago. I remember reading it a long time ago around the time it came out along with many other good Ranma ½ fanfictions. I loved this story because I found the story different from the usual.

The link to the story archive:

Change the _ to . and remove the space. If it doesn't work, google "Ranma ½ fan fiction bliss."

Web_archive_org / web / 20080624042113 / www_thekeep_org / ~lara / bliss / bliss_html

Recently, I wanted to reread it and searched for it. I was glad I was able to find it in the archive and read the story. 20 years do change your thinking and how you see the world. As I read the story, I found myself rooting for the pairing and wanting the ending to go differently.

Bliss was written in 1999 when the concept of homosexuality was still looked down upon. However, 20 years later, things had changed and are now more accepted everywhere. Though not always but it's much better than it was then, which is saying something.

 **I want to make this statement: I wrote the story solely for myself to give it an ending that I wanted to end. I posted it here for others to read it. You DO NOT have to like it. Leave it and move on. If you do like it, great! That's all there it is to fan fiction, to write to let out the imaginations for pure entertainment.**

You need to read the original story before this one or else you would be confused and it's a **MAJOR** spoiler for the original Bliss.

The first part of the story is directly from Bliss, starting at Part 8. As you read along, and you see a bold dash, that's where I start to take over and change the ending of the story. Forgive me if I don't follow their writing style. But if you find something familiar, it most probably came from the original story where I kept few elements. As it goes, Bliss do not belong to me. Characters belong to Rumkio Takahashi and the concept of the story belongs to Mike Loader and Laura Bartram. Like fan fiction is a playground, I am just borrowing it and giving it a different what-if scenarios.

* * *

Part 8 of Bliss/Part 1 of Finding Bliss:

Ranma screamed, and screamed, and screamed.

He dimly heard Akane's voice, Akane who WASN'T HIM, he was Ranma Saotome, he was a man, he remembered everything and he was a man...

And he heard Ukyo NO KUNO IT WAS KUNO OH GOD OH GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE WHAT DID I DO...

He screamed, and screamed, and his memories replayed life on the island, living with Kuno, being attracted to Kuno, sleeping with Kuno, making love to another man and actually ENJOYING it...

He fell to his knees and vomited. He felt... oh God, he wanted to bathe, he needed to wash it off him, he needed to wash it all away...

Kuno's hand fell upon his shoulder, and he gagged. Without even knowing why, he grabbed the other man by the neck and slammed him against the wall. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" he screamed, fury and repulsion and sickness flooding him. "DAMN YOU! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO ME!? WHAT?" And Kuno just stared back at him, confused, horrified, looking like he had just punched him in the stomach.

And it wasn't Kuno, who was an arrogant hentai shit, it was Ukyo, Akane's husband.

Behind them, abandoned on a chair, little Nabiki started to cry. His daughter.

Ranma gave a despairing, animal scream and fled.

He ran through corridors and halls, ran out of the building, ran across the highway and into the small clump of trees beyond, overlooking the sea. He curled into a tiny ball beneath one of

them and cried.

Gone. Everything gone. He had lost his friends. He had lost his manhood. Bitter laughter welled up, manhood indeed. He had spread his legs for Kuno. Some man.

The demon should have just killed him. It should have just killed him like Ukyo, who his ego and selfish need for a cure had murdered, murdered along with maybe Shampoo and Ryoga.

And he couldn't even lose himself in revenge. The thing was dead. Kuno hadn't known what he was doing. The only person to blame for the sick joke his life had become... was himself.

The cliff edge stood not six feet away, and he stood. It was better this way. He only wished he had died on the raft, before having to realize what he had done, how he had befouled himself. He walked to the edge of the cliff, looked down at the waves crashing against the jagged rocks, and jumped.

For a second he hung in midair, and then a hand closed around the back of his shirt and swung him around to land with a thud on the turf. He looked dully up at his rescuer. "You shouldn't have stopped me, Akane."

She lifted him from where he lay, pushed him up against a tree, and kissed him.

When she stopped, he noticed with some surprise that she was crying. "No. No, don't you dare, Ranma. I lost you once, and it almost killed me. If you do it again, I'll follow you."

He gaped at her. "Wha... what...?"

Smiling through her tears, she kissed him again. "I love you, baka. I always have."

He stared at her, in shock. "But... but you always..."

"Why did you think I was so jealous of you?" Akane laughed, the sound a little sad. "It wasn't until you 'died' that I realized how stupid I had been. And then I was stupid in a whole new way, and slashed my wrists, and got into the furo to just drift away to the afterlife."

"You idiot," he said, aghast. "You tried to kill yourself?"

She shrugged. "It was really, really dumb, I admit. Silly and melodramatic. Luckily Nabiki had been expecting something like it, and got me out and bandaged my wrists."

He shook his head. "Just because you thought you loved me..."

"I do love you," she said quietly.

Ranma laughed bitterly. "How? I have a child, for God's sake. I gave birth to a child! I'm not a man, I'm Kuno's whore."

She slapped him, hard. "No! You're Ranma Saotome, and I don't give a shit what you did with him or who you gave birth to! You're the man I love, and you've come back, and that's all that

matters to me."

He stared at her, stunned. "You... you really mean that?"

"Yes, you baka." She smiled, her eyes filling with tears. "I know you never really thought of me as more than your friend, but..."

 **\- (their original and my story starts merging here) -**

He embraced her. In that moment, it hit him rather hard. He had waited for this for so long and now, he wasn't sure what he felt.

He pushed her away gently, "Thanks. I need to think. I don't know what I feel right now. I am confused."

Akane looked at him desperately. "Ranma, you love me? Don't you?"

Ranma gave her a sad smile. "I do. But things had changed. It's... been so long. Right now, I have two sets of memories, two sets of lives and I need to sort them out."

Akane dropped her hands, feeling defeated and wrung out. "At least, come home. You've always had your place with us."

Ranma nodded. "Thanks, Akane." He had strange feeling stir inside saying her name. All that time on the island, he was Akane. It was strange. He shook his head and followed her.

Ranma sat on top of the Tendo rooftop, watching the stars. It wasn't like the island. The stars were fewer and the sky blacker. On the island, you could literally see the universe and it was so beautiful. He felt homesick for the first time. But he was glad he was away from that place, the damned cursed place.

Akane joined him on the rooftop. It had been just them when they got home earlier. He retreated to his room and then the roof top to collect his thought. He was grateful for the time alone.

"This is a dream," Akane whispered. "You're home now. I don't want to wake up, but it has to be a dream." She rested her head on his shoulder.

He started but calmed down. She didn't catch the flinch and he exhaled. "No dream," he told her. "I don't know if I want it to be or not. God, Akane, what I've done... all my friends dead, Kuno... Kuno and me..." He frowned for a moment, it was something else he need to think on.

She was silent for a second. "Ryoga lived. He was in the hospital for a long time, but he lived. Akari married him as soon as he was able to walk, and they moved away."

"Shampoo?"

"I don't know. Cologne thinks she'll regain her sanity with enough care. They went back to China together. We don't know what happened to Mousse."

"It was my fault." He felt his hand being taken.

She squeezed his hand. "You couldn't have known. And even if it was, there's nothing you can do about it now. You're alive, and that's all I care about."

"I... I have a daughter, you know. I gave birth to a daughter." He smiled slightly, a tinge of love surfacing through the shame and horror. Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to be ashamed of his beautiful, wonderful baby girl.

Akane was silent for a second. "I saw. What's her name?"

Ranma flushed. "Er, Nabiki."

She stared at him incredulously.

He flushed some more. "It just popped into Uk... Kuno's head, and I liked it. I didn't remember..."

"I'm going to kill him," Akane said quietly. "I'm going to kill him for what he's done..."

"It wasn't his fault," Ranma said dully. "He didn't remember anything either. He was 'Ukyo', and I was 'Akane', and it was a couple months before we started havin' sex..." He began to shake. His inner turmoil was rising. His old feeling for Kuno fought against the feeling he had developed in past 2 years churned. Akane tightened her embrace until he stopped.

"Are you sure he didn't remember? You know Kuno. This was probably his dearest fantasy come true."

"Kuno's not bright enough to fake it." He stared at her, eyes filling with tears. "I loved him, Akane. Kuno. I didn't just have sex with him, I actually loved him, and God help me but part

of me still does..." He fell into racking sobs and she held him, crying with him.

And she swore to make Kuno pay for what he had done to her Ranma.

In the trees beyond, Ukyo Kuno fled, hot tears running down his cheeks, his infant daughter clasped tightly to his chest. He had followed them to the cliff and then to the Tendo house, concerned for his Akane.

Nabiki Tendo yawned irritably, scratched, and meandered sleepily down the stairs. She wasn't a morning person at the best of times, and last night's sleep had been interrupted by the sound

of her little sister arriving home at some ungodly hour. Maybe Akane had gone out on a date? She hoped that was it.

Yawning, she took out a cup and a bottle of soda, setting both on the breakfast table. It was high time that Akane stopped pining away for someone who had been dead for over two years.

Especially when they had never gotten along when he was alive.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned.

"Boo," Ranma said.

Nabiki opened her mouth, moved it for a few seconds, and then fainted.

Ranma shrugged, took the bottle of soda, and began to fix breakfast. Cereal. Real, packaged cereal. He was gonna _enjoy_ this.

"Good morning," Akane said, strolling into the kitchen. "Did you sleep..." She stopped, glancing down at her sister. "Hey. Did you startle Nabiki?"

He smirked. "I've been wantin' to do that for ages."

"Meanie." Hefting Nabiki, Akane carried her out into the living room, set her on the sofa, and quickly returned. She found Ranma at the table, wolfing down food, and smiled.

"You don't know how much I've missed seeing you there, eating."

He finished chewing, and looked down. "Was it really that bad?"

"I didn't know that you were dead for three weeks. I was in the hospital, and they felt it would be best if I didn't know until after I recovered." She shook her head. "I was in shock for a few months, tried to kill myself twice, and then I slowly began to adjust to the fact that you were dead and there was nothing I could do about it."

He lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Akane walked over to sit down beside him. "It wasn't your fault." She sighed, and hugged him. "A lot of things weren't your fault. Losing you hurt, a lot, but I grew up a little because of

it."

"I... look, when I was 'Akane', I'd have these flashbacks, and I'd hear my male voice insultin' you. And I hated it. It seemed so cruel, so demeaning..." He trailed off, and looked at her. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say is that I won't do that anymore. I didn't know how much it hurt."

She smiled. "Well, you can tease me if you feel like it. It would be like it was."

He smiled. He knew he wouldn't be anymore, they've changed. He shook his head to himself and asked, "Hey, where's Pop?"

Akane just shook her head. "He left shortly after the funeral. We haven't heard from him since."

"Aw, man. I hope the old guy's okay. We'd better take out ads in the Chinese newspapers asking for him."

"You think he'd be in China?" Akane asked. He nodded.

"Pop always went to China whenever things were rough. I don't know if he just liked it there, or if he disliked Japan."

His stomach growled, and he forked down another load of cereal. "So Ryoga married Akari, huh?"

"She practically nursed him back to health all by herself. By the time he got out of the hospital, they had already arranged the wedding." Akane smiled wistfully. "It was a lovely ceremony. I

was still a little out of it, but they insisted I be the maid of honor. It was good that they did; I needed to do something besides sit and stare at the walls."

"I'm sorry I missed that," Ranma said. "I'da liked to have seen that pig get hitched."

"He said afterwards that the only way it could have been better was if you'd been around to serve as best man."

"Aw, man... he really said that?"

She nodded. "He was pretty broken up by it all. You were the closest thing he had to a friend, I think."

A door opened and Kasumi walked in with a bag of groceries. "Good morning!"

"Hi Kasumi," Ranma said awkwardly.

Kasumi blinked. "Ranma-kun?"

"Er, yeah. It's me."

She blinked again. "Aren't you dead?"

"I got better."

A third blink. "Oh. That's nice."

Slowly, she set the groceries on the counter and walked upstairs.

"I think she took that well," Akane told him.

"Better'n Nabiki did." He grinned at her. "You shoulda seen her face."

Akane sighed. "Tell me you didn't jump out at her moaning and making faces..."

"No! I just tapped her on the shoulder."

"Good thing she doesn't have a heart condition."

Ranma smirked. "Yeah. Say, your dad doesn't, does he?"

"Father? No, he'd just hug you and sob at us. He doesn't live here anymore anyway."

He blinked. "Huh? Isn't this his house?"

Akane looked embarrassed. "It's still in his name, yeah, but he's been living with Hinako-sensei for about seven months."

"I don't get it," Ranma said, scratching his head. "This is a nice place, lotsa room with me an Pop gone. Why didn't she move in with him?"

The embarrassed look turned into a blush. "Not enough privacy."

"What do you mean, not..." He stopped. "Oh. Are they gonna get married?"

"We don't know," Akane said sheepishly. "He hasn't mentioned it, but we hardly see him anymore."

"Jeez."

He stared at her for a few seconds, noticing for the first time the changes and the differences. Taller. Body more filled out, leaner and harder. The facial features sharper, more worn in

places. The eyes the same, the angry crinkle around them softer.

"I missed a lot, didn't I," he finally said.

She nodded. "We both did." She looked at him for a second, and then spoke. "Ranma, what happened? Where were you?"

He shrugged. "It was an island. We never knew the name, and the captain of the ship that fished us out of the ocean insists that there's no place like where we were in the entire North

Pacific. I believe him. It's gone now, anyway. Destroyed. I'm sad about that, because it was very beautiful."

"What was it like?" she asked quietly.

"It was the entire world. It was Genesis. It was very lovely, and very frightening, and savage beyond measure. We were hunted by wild animals, battered by storms, and there was a sorta

plague at the end that almost killed me." He smiled wanly. "I'd be dead about two dozen times over if it hadn't been for Uk... for Kuno. And vice-versa. But we lived, and we built a home..." He

looked away as the feeling of confusion rose again. "I don't wanna talk about it right now."

Akane nodded. "You don't have to. Yet. One of these days you're going to have to tell someone the whole thing, but that can wait for a while."

He sighed. "I should go get Nabiki."

"She's just in the other ro... oh." She looked at him in alarm. "You don't think Kuno would hurt her, do you?"

Ranma laughed softly. "He'd rather rip off his right arm and eat it than harm a hair on her head. Naw, she's perfectly safe with him. I'm just not sure if he knows..." He stopped, and slumped in his chair. "I guess he knows how to take care of her. He took care of both of us while I was sick, and that was in the middle of the jungle..." He suddenly buried his head in his hands.

"God, I don't know, I wanna see my daughter and I wanna clear this up... Kuno can take care of her for today."

Akane walked over and knelt next to his chair, and stroked his back until he finally looked up. "Sorry. I still... I'm confused, I guess."

"It's okay. You're home now."

He was home now.

Ukyo opened the door of the massive house and stepped inside. Under one arm, Nabiki whimpered. Inside was a stately entry hall, dust covering everything. A gaudy palm tree marred the otherwise tasteful decor, and he frowned at the sight of it. It must be his...

...haircut time, tatchi! hoho!...

Father, it was his father's. He hated him.

He walked into one of the sitting rooms, knowing the way instinctively. It was his house.

On the floor of the room, coiled like a poisonous snake, lay a gymnastics ribbon.

Laughter echoed in his brain, mad and joyous.

...brother dear!...

...i despise you, sister...

...ranma-sama!...

Kodachi, that was her name, and he suspected that she was not entirely stable. The officials in the port had checked, and found that his one relative was in America, studying at a medical

college. He supposed that was a good thing. Maybe she had gotten better since he... left.

"And who am I?" he asked Nabiki, quietly. She gurgled at him happily.

Slowly at first, then swiftly, as if drawn by an unseen force, he ascended a flight of stairs. Left down a hall, through a door, up another staircase...

And then finally he was in a room. His room.

Photos. Photos of Akane, and the other Akane who had... who had made Akane someone else. Photos everywhere.

...my pig-tailed goddess!...

...akane tendo, i would date with thee!...

Photos on every corner of the room, bought from...

...500 yen, kuno-chan...

"Nabiki?" he asked, staring at his daughter. Now another picture floated through his mind, the sister of Akane Tendo, who helped him at times...

...i must have them both!...

...i call it two-timing...

He had openly sought both of them? And they had agreed to this?

...for the last time, i'm a guy, you idiot...

...hentai!...

...come to my arms!...

"No... no..." he whimpered, almost dropping Nabiki. His daughter howled in alarm, and he was barely able to set her on the bed before falling over, pain ripping through his head in white-

hot bursts.

...idiot!...

...jerk!...

This couldn't be him, it wasn't him, it couldn't be...

His eyes jerked upward, to where a bokken lay on a hardwood stand.

...saotome, die!...

...foul sorcerer!...

...i shall free akane from your clutches...

Enemy. Ranma was his enemy...

...yo, kuno...

...aw, man, not again...

...hentai...

No. Not enemy. Ranma held him in friendly contempt. You had to be worth something in order to be an enemy.

Ranma and his Akane were the same person. He had known this, before, but denied it. They were the same person, and he was engaged to the real Akane, and both of them had a certain amount of feeling for each other.

"No, please no..."

Because Ranma was a man, not a woman. Just a man who occasionally turned into one. It would seem that hot water triggered the change, and his memory showed that cold water

induced it. There hadn't been any hot water on the island, save for the odd bowl of hot soup.

And Akane - the only real Akane, because his Akane was Ranma - Akane and Ranma hated him. They quite rightly despised him as a delusional pervert.

Memory flooded back. Blows rained upon him, insults were hurled, and he had refused to see that they didn't like him and found his behavior objectionable.

He saw how they looked out for one another.

How they teamed up to attack him.

The disgust and fury they showed when he dared touch one of them.

And again he felt Ranma slam him up against the wall, and scream at him in horror and rage and disgust, and he understood completely.

His Akane was gone, and she hated him. And would always hate him.

Ukyo screamed, and the last memories of Tatewaki Kuno slid into place. And the last shards of Tatewaki Kuno melted like icicles in a blast furnace. He was Ukyo Kuno, with the memories of

someone called Tatewaki Kuno, who he hated. Hated because his actions had taken Ranma away from him forever.

Kuno bent double in agony, and slammed his fist into the floor over and over, screaming his rage and grief. Pictures ran through his mind, of Akane and Ranma, lying naked together under a tree by the port, still glistening from the sweat of their lovemaking...

His first impulse was to run from the room, find the family tanto, and end his misery. Then little Nabiki cried, a worried, frightened wail, and he knew that he could not. His daughter

needed him.

Slowly, shaking, he stood, and sat on the bed, and cradled his daughter until the cries stopped. She was his, his and his beloved's, and they would always be together in her. And nothing

could ever take that away.

It was small comfort against what he had lost. But it was the only thing he had left.

"Come now, Nabiki-chan, you must eat. Take the bottle." Kuno sat on the big sterile couch in his big sterile home, cradling Nabiki. The bottle he was trying to get her to take was going

completely unwanted. The little girl wanted nothing to do with it, no matter that it was her dinner.

"Please, Nabiki-chan," he pleaded, putting the bottle to her mouth. "You must..."

Little Nabiki turned her head away from the bottle, closing her eyes as well. It was her ultimate refusal.

Kuno looked down at her, desperation slowly creeping across his face. He steered the bottle to her mouth again, and again she turned her head away from it. This was not good. Standing, Kuno went to the kitchen and resisted the urge to throw the bottle down. This would work for now, but he couldn't feed Nabiki out in public this way.

Setting Nabiki down on the counter, he grabbed a banana and peeled it, keeping a careful eye on his daughter. He took a small bite and began to chew gently, mashing up the already soft fruit. This had been his least favorite part of caring for Nabiki because it felt unsanitary that she should be sharing his germs.

When he had softened the banana up into a uniform mush, he scooped it out of his mouth on his finger and tried to feed it to Nabiki. "Here you are, just like we've done before."

But still, Nabiki refused his offering of food. She would not open her mouth even to cry.

"Nabiki..." Kuno wiped the much from his finger and stared at his little girl. She opened her eyes and looked back, almost defiantly. "Nabiki, you have to..." He sighed, defeated. She wasn't going to do anything she didn't want to, she never had before.

Maybe she wasn't hungry though. Maybe that's what the problem was. That's what it had to be. Well, that was fine. She could wait a little while, and then when she got hungry enough,

she would eat. "If that's the way you're going to be," he said and lifted her in his arms.

That brought a smile to her face and a stab of pain to Kuno's heart. Why did things have to be this way? He felt so useless, half a person without Aka... Ranma. Whatever was in the

past between the two of them, Kuno didn't care. His docile home life before the island felt like it was a million miles away, and he was glad of it.

On the island, he felt that he had finally blossomed into a man, a real man, and that he and... Ranma had something between the two of them that would last until they died. On that island.

Only on that island.

But they weren't on that island. They weren't on the island, and with all the inconveniences it had laid upon them, he wished he was back there. "Nabiki-chan, we were happy there, weren't we? It wasn't so bad, was it? Allowing nature to take its course with us... That's really not so awful. Is it?"

The little girl could not answer, only smile and giggle at him, and smack him in the face with her tiny hands. The sigh this time was not of defeat, but of resignation. To him, there was a difference. He had not been defeated, he had given up. Now he was forced to adapt back to the ways of civilization, of Japan, of living alone.

And he was so miserable and confused. The only person who loved him was his daughter, and if she had known him before, she would probably hate him too. All he wanted was his life back, his REAL life, his life back on the island. All he wanted... all he wanted was Akane back.

"Nabiki-chan, why? Why couldn't she be mine? It was all I wanted, and now... Now I don't have anything. Except you." He looked around at the huge, terrifyingly empty house. "And this

house that I barely remember, and money I have no use for except to take care of you."

He began to rock her gently, soothing himself as much as the child in his arms. There was just so much wrong with his life in Japan, so much wrong and there was nothing he could do to fix it.

He felt like he was back on the raft, bobbing in the water, waiting for the ocean to take him wherever it wanted.

"If you won't eat, my little songbird, then I think it's time for a nap." He tickled her under the chin, getting a wide, toothless smile from her. And he was so tired. Tired of it all because he didn't fit in. Didn't fit in with society, with his life, with himself. He hadn't finished high school, he didn't have a job, and even his memories seemed hazy and distant. The people he should have known just... weren't there.

It seemed like his entire life had just gone missing. He sat down slowly on the couch that he was beginning to hate, Nabiki already resting against his chest with her eyes closed, and slowly

reclined. The shadows of his past, of his rotted, perverse, twisted, pathetic past, seemed determine to haunt him in his waking hours and his dreams, so it seemed preferable to let it

assault him in his sleep.

But in his sleep, they weren't just his memories haunting him. It was everything, all merged into one giant nightmare, waiting for him. Twisted versions of himself, rife with the

disease on the island, and his sister in all her insane glory...

And Ranma, his Akane, spewing words of hate at him and the baby clutched in his arms. And her hair shone with the color that he couldn't identify, and the pillars were all around him, and...

Kuno woke up suddenly, the remains of the nightmare, confused as to where he was momentarily. The feeling of his daughter still asleep on his chest yanked him back to reality,

which was its own nightmare in a way.

Nabiki had adorably left a rather sizable drool puddle on his shirt, which blended in perfectly with the sweat. At least he hadn't awakened screaming like the first few nights the nightmare

had come upon him. That had invariably awakened Nabiki, who had also begun to cry, and made him feel lower than low.

The sweat was a much nicer, at least quieter, reaction to the dream and didn't make Nabiki react adversely. And at the time, the only thing he cared about was taking care of her, and her

well-being, and making her life as easy as possible. If she was hungry, he would feed her. If she was tired, he would put her to bed. If she was bored, he would play with her. If she was hurt, he

would heal her.

If not for her, this weird conglomeration of Ukyo and Tatewaki Kuno would have simply been a memory, put out of his, and everyone else's, misery.

And if at any point in time, she didn't need him, didn't want him, said she hated him, then he would remove himself.

And then his tears began to mix with his sweat and Nabiki's drool because he didn't want to exist in the strange half-life he was forced to live.

"Nabiki-chan, I don't know how you can stand me, because I can't stand myself."

Kuno couldn't put down Nabiki the rest of the afternoon and night. He wanted to have her close to him before she grew up and became distant, as children invariably did. He wanted her love for as long as he could get it because she was the only person he was

getting it from.

And speaking of his daughter, it was getting late and she still hadn't had anything to eat. She'd probably be up half the night since she had been sleeping, but Kuno thought he might be

too.

"Nabiki-chan, it's time to wake up," he said quietly, bouncing her slightly in his arms. "Nabiki-chan..."

She slowly opened her eyes, her face slack and tired looking. Blinking slowly, she looked up at her father and yawned.

For the first time since Akane had been ripped away from him at the port, Kuno smiled. "That's my little girl." He ran the back his finger along her cheek. "You must be hungry. Let's get you

some dinner."

He repeated his ritual of warming up a bottle to the proper temperature, bouncing Nabiki in his arms the entire time. He made a silly face at her, causing her to giggle, and he smiled again,

this time sadly.

"One day, little girl, you're going to grow up and you're not going to need me any longer. You're not going to laugh at a silly face, or smile at me. I'm not really your father after all.

Your father was a good man, not a delusional pervert like me. I'll never be the man your father was; I can't."

Shaking his head at the girl's smile, he fetched the warm bottle and tested its temperature. Determining it safe, he once again tried to give it to Nabiki.

She accepted the rubber nipple partway into her mouth before turning her head and rejecting it once more.

"Don't do this to me, Nabiki-chan. You need to eat," Kuno said, his voice somewhere between annoyed and desperate. He tried to give her the bottle again, and again she refused it.

Finally, Kuno did throw the bottle, and that made Nabiki cry pitifully. Looking down at her, a look of panic settled on his face. She wouldn't eat and now this. God, he was an awful parent.

And needed her to eat.

Kuno retrieved the bottle and tried again. "I know you haven't eaten all day, Nabiki-chan. Take the bottle. It's dinner." He tried to force it in her mouth. "Damn it, Nabiki. You've got to eat." The last sentence was spoken with desperation and the beginnings of tears in his eyes.

He just didn't know what to do. Nabiki wouldn't respond to him, and she wouldn't take a bottle or soft food.

The phone rang and was answered. "Hello?"

*Yes, may I speak to Ranma? I need...*

Kuno looked at the phone in his hand as the line went dead.

He slammed it down, frowning. He needed to speak to Ranma. The problem with Nabiki went beyond their problems in the past. This was the here and now, and he needed to talk to Ranma.

"Come on, Nabiki-chan," he said, lifting her, "we have to go see Mommy."

* * *

Note:

This will be fairly three or four parts. I am writing this to relieve the stress of the finals. I know I do have 2 other stories I need to get back to, which I will after the finals. For now, I'm just dipping my toe in Ranmadom. Part two will be merging of the original Bliss and my story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Finding Bliss**

Part Two

Akane opened the front door about twenty-three seconds after she heard the knock. She was expecting it to be Kuno, and it was. So she drew back her fist in order to properly explain to him her feelings.

Then she noticed that he was holding a baby. And you just don't hit people holding infants, not even if you'd gladly see them slowly roasted alive over hot coals. "Get out," she said coldly.

"I am sorry, but I need to..."

"You're even dumber than I remembered. He doesn't want to see you. Go home."

"I need to see..."

Akane glared at him. "What part of Go-The-Fuck-Away don't you understand, asshole?" She reached for the edge of the door, intending to slam it shut in his face.

"The baby," he said desperately, "it's about the baby, please."

She hesitated, the scowl turning into a frown. "What about it?"

"Her. She's not eating, and I hoped... I hoped maybe her mother..."

Akane's face softened slightly. "Okay. Hand her here, and I'll take her in."

"I thought I would give her to..."

The scowl returned. "You aren't getting within his sight, pervert. Unless you want a repeat of yesterday, with him trying to kill himself."

Kuno's face turned ashen. "She... he tried to...?"

"He was in the process of jumping off a cliff when I grabbed him. That should make it real clear how he feels, ne? Frankly, I'd be pretty horrified if I were in his shoes, and I'm not even a

man."

He looked as if she had punched him in the stomach, and part of her felt sorry for him. For a second.

"I didn't wish... I didn't want to hurt her..."

She laughed, the sound mocking. "You've done nothing but that since the day I met you, Kuno. Ignore it, beat it up, or throw your perverted self at it, that was your routine, remember?

I used to merely dislike you for causing me to be assaulted every morning and grabbing me every chance you got. But that was before you ruined Ranma's life, wasn't it? Now, now I truly hate you."

 **(Complete change from here on)**

"Akane?" They turned to find Ranma standing behind her. Akane stuttered, and Kuno looked on sadly, holding the baby. She gurgled contentedly.

Akane turned to Kuno and frowned, "Hand her over and go away." She held out her hands.

Kuno silently held the baby and started to hand Nabiki over. Ranma's voice stopped him, "Akane, let me talk to him."

Akane scowled and snapped, "No. You do not need to talk to him. He'll confuse you more."

Ranma landed his hand on Akane's shoulder and tightened his grip slightly. His voice had the steel to it, "Akane. Take the baby and look after her. Kuno and I are going to talk."

Akane opened her mouth to protest, but the grip on her shoulder was beginning to become slightly painful. She snapped her jaw shut and took the baby. She stared at her, and her face instantly went from cold glare to admiring warmth. "Oh, what a beautiful little girl!"

"Thank you," Ranma softly said as Akane brushed past her. He turned to Kuno, who stood there dejectedly. "Come on," he gestured for the man to step in and waited as Kuno slip his shoes off. Then led him toward the dojo where they would have some privacy.

As soon they sat down facing each other, they heard the cry come from inside the house. Ranma sighed and closed his eyes.

Kuno turned his head toward the cry, "Nabiki wouldn't eat. She wants her mother."

Ranma rose and gave him a gesture to wait and left the dojo. He returned shortly with Nabiki in one arm and a cup of water and kettle in another hand. Nabiki eyed Ranma with distrust on her face but was silent. He sat down and settled her in his lap and set the kettle down beside him and upturned the glass water over his head.

Kuno watched Ranma go from male to female, the forms melting from one to another. His breath hitched as his Akane appeared. It hit him; their eyes were the same. Their mannerisms were the same. He watched as Ranma unbutton the Chinese shirt and lifted giggling Nabiki to her breast and started to feed.

She winced, "Good strong teeth." Tapping a finger on the baby's cheek, she sighed a small relief as the eager suckling let up to comfortable suckle. She turned her eyes to the man across her.

Kuno watched Nabiki feed with a sad smile and then lifted his eyes to meet the blue eyes he had come to love, and the smile faded.

Ranma felt the tug in her heart. That feeling she had during their time on the island. It was strong as ever, and she swallowed hard. It can't be. She was a man and prefers women.

But it was there, that love she had for Ukyo. It was real and clear as the sky. Closing her eyes, she dropped her head, allowing the bangs shadow her face.

Kuno saw the look in her eyes before shielding them. He understood what Ranma was thinking. He also had the same thought. Despite knowing his Akane and Ranma was the same person, he still loved her, rather him.

When Nabiki had her fill with milk, her eyes dropped close, and she was asleep shortly after. Ranma handed her over to Kuno and got up and grabbed another seat pillow and brought it back to their sides. She took the baby and laid her down. Nabiki yawned and shifted, falling back asleep once again after being disturbed.

Ranma sat down and lifted the kettle and allowed the warm water run over her head, transforming her back into a male. Kuno watched the transformation with fascination. It had never ceased to amaze him. The kettle set down with a soft thud.

He held his gaze to Ranma's familiar blue eyes. He realized, he has lost it all for good. The guarded expression told him all. His Akane was gone forever. He bent over and bowed, "I am sorry. For all that I have caused you and Akane troubles. I remembered everything last night, and it was painful to remember. I deserve to die. I will leave you and Akane alone, on whatever honor I have left."

Ranma frowned. "Kuno." He reached over and laid a hand on his head. "I accept the apology but..."

Kuno lifted his head and sat back up. "Yes?"

Ranma stared at Kuno and realized, this wasn't the same Takewaki Kuno he had always known. This is Ukyo Kuno. The island had changed them. He knew he also had changed too; he wasn't Ranma Saotome. He is Akane Ranma.

Their memories had merged. Their feelings had evolved, and now they are a completely different person than they were on the island.

"I..." Ranma started and frowned, looking away.

Kuno also found it difficult to say anything but knew he had to. There was a tiny glimmer of hope, so tiny that it would be lost among the speck of sands on the cursed island forever. But he has to start. "Ranma. I now know who you are and what you are to me. I am not the same man I was. I will accept whatever fate has in plan for me." He looked to Nabiki. "Right now, all that matters to me is her. But she still does need you too." Ranma nodded, glancing at their daughter, a beautiful girl they had created on the befouled island.

"Yes. I love her, and I can't just forget her." Ranma said softly before turning his head back to the other man.

Kuno sighed softly. "I still love you. Akane; that is." He closed his eyes. "I know you, and my Akane of the island are one same person, and I find it difficult. I... I struggle with my feeling."

Ranma's eyes dropped to his hands on his knees. He slowly replied, "I also struggle too. At first, I was disgusted and upset that it happened, but then, I thought about our time on the island and all that." He looked up. "I still have the same feeling. I miss that simple time we had together. It was real. It was bliss."

Kuno nodded. "Bliss, yes. It was. But what now?"

Ranma stared at Kuno. It was painfully evident that they both grew up on the island. He was starting to feel alienated around the Tendos. They still had same perspectives despite being grown up. Akane still harbored the same temper she was known for, yet he doesn't know who she was anymore. But he knew he would never be able to go back to the way things were. Most of his friends had died or left. He didn't feel comfortable being in the Tendo household anymore. What he had before the island, they're all gone, dead. Killed in that wreck.

However, sitting with Kuno, that comfort and feeling he had in past two years was something he had grown accustomed. They came to rely on each other, understood each other. They shared a deep bond that they would never get with anyone else. Strangely, he realized, his bond with Kuno was stronger than what he had with Akane.

Ranma inhaled deeply and said, "I... I want to check something first." He rose and leaned over. Kuno stared at him bemusedly but remained silent. Ranma swallowed and inched closer until his breath mingled with Kuno. He closed his eyes and kissed the other man.

Kuno's eyes widened in surprise before closing them, returning the kiss. It was familiar, the taste and the feel were the same, but with a slight difference. He could feel Ranma feeling the kiss, and he raised his hands, threading his fingers through the other man's hair. It was just like his Akane's, the smell, the feel, the aura coming from Ranma. Everything, they were one and same, and his heart sang.

Ranma broke the kiss with slight heavy breathing. He rested his forehead on Kuno's forehead and smiled softly. "The feeling, it's all there and still the same. It's not that confusing when it's just two of us."

Kuno tightened his grips on Ranma's head, "Same here. You are still Akane to me."

"And you are still Ukyo to me," Ranma said as he sat back once Kuno let go of his hair. "What now? You know I am a man."

Kuno shook his head, "I don't know." He gazed into the blue eyes. "To be honest. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, you are you. To me."

Ranma slowly nodded. "Yeah. Couldn't say better."

"Do you plan to stay here?"

Ranma grimaced. "It's not the same here. Pops' gone, Mr. Tendo no longer lives here. I don't feel like I belong here anymore. Akane," he glanced up. "Still thinks she and I will marry and take over the dojo."

"Are you going to do that? Marry Akane?"

Ranma shook his head. "It wouldn't feel right, with my feeling as it is. I thought myself in love with her but not anymore. It's gone." He grasped his shirt and shook a little bit. "I've always fought hard to be a man among men, even with the curse. But now, looking back on it, it's so silly. Everything was so utterly ridiculous. And for what?" He scowled, pain filling him up as he thought of Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse, and Ryoga. What they had paid for. He gripped his shirt so hard that his knuckles turned white and tears welled in his eyes. "It's funny how the time on the island knocks your perspective in place and make you see things that you've never thought to see. It's simple; I am me."

"Indeed, you are," Kuno replied. He gestured to Nabiki. "I am alone in my house, with Nabiki. Kodachi's gone, and my father isn't there. Stay with me, at least for Nabiki's sake? I have more than enough rooms."

Ranma nodded. "I think it might be best for all of us for the time being." At the moment, Nabiki woke up and yawned. Her eyes caught Ranma, and she remembered his transformation into her mother. She cooed and waved her fists at him.

Ranma chuckled and picked up Nabiki. "Now you know who I am?"

Nabiki replied by grabbing his hair as she had always done when he was Akane. She giggled.

"When would you like to come to live with me?" Kuno asked.

Ranma turned his eyes to the other man. "Now would be good. I got nothing but clothes on my back and few things. Aw, crap." He muttered and saw Kuno's confused look. "I'm gonna have a heck of a time telling Akane this. It's going to be awkward as fuck."

They stood up together. "I will wait for you at my house," Kuno said as he took gurgling Nabiki into his arms. He and Ranma walked through the house to the front door. Ranma watched as Kuno left through the gate. He closed the door and turned around. The main floor of the house was empty; it felt strange to him. Never he had felt so empty and isolated as he is now. Even on the island, he never had felt alone; he had Kuno and Nabiki.

He took the stairs and approached Akane's door. He knocked softly; he had to tell her. At least that he wasn't going to stay.

"Come in." He heard Akane said from within her room. He opened the door and found her sitting at her desk, writing something. He stepped in and stood there, rubbing the back of his head. A gesture he had done when he was nervous.

Akane looked up and placed her pencil down. "Come in, what is it?"

He met her brown eyes. It was solidified. He didn't feel the same for her as he felt for Kuno. It was strange to know the reality of his feelings. He may have liked her and perhaps loved her at one time, but those feelings were gone. All he felt was a friendship with her like he did with Nabiki and Kasumi.

He dropped his hand, feeling a strong sense of resolve. He knew where he belonged. It didn't matter anymore. He had come to accept his cursed form for a long time, and it had been a part of him. He knew if he had attempted to get rid of his female side, he would miss it. It was time to look at his female form a blessing now, rather than a curse. There are things out there that are far worse than switching gender, and he knew this from experience.

"Akane." He started with a determined tone. He saw her smile fade. "I can't stay here."

"Ranma!" She stood up, frowning.

He held his hand up. He knew how she would react and every muscle in his body tensed up in preparation. It was a familiar old feeling, and he hated it. It was always like that with her. Damn, had he seriously considered marry this violate tomboy!? He shuddered.

"Before you say anything." He started and saw her clench her jaw, struggling not to explode. He sighed. "I talked this over with Kuno; it would be best for Nabiki that I stay with him. She needs us both, and she is very young. Right now, it's a bit weird for me to be here."

He tensed silently, and it came.

"Ranma! No! Kuno's never been full of restraint, Ranma. I can't count the number of times the slimy creep grabbed one of us."

Ranma stared at Akane with a hint of stony expression. "Akane. He and I had changed in the past two years. For two damned years, we had no memories of our lives before. We lived with what we knew. Now we remember, and we've changed. I am not the same person I was before. He isn't either. He apologized and felt he deserved to die for all he did to us before."

Akane's scowl deepened, "he should! Instead of groping you, he's gotten you pregnant!" She shook her head and calmed down a bit. "I don't think that's a good idea," Akane said. "I don't want a repeat of yesterday."

"Yesterday was yesterday. I wasn't thinking straight; I was a little nut." He said quietly, "but now I am thinking clearly with everything straightened out in my head."

She didn't smile. "I think it's a bad idea."

"Look, the guy's probably hurting as much as I was..."

"Let him."

"No. I won't. I am not going to let you run my life."

Akane focused a baleful stare at him. "You're not going, and that's final."

"Oh?" Ranma closed his eyes for a second, and then met the stare. "No, Akane. I'm gonna go. It's clear that you don't trust me enough. It's best that we break things off between us right now. I never minded getting slapped around a bit, but none of you, not even Ukyo or Shampoo, ever really trusted me. And I deserve better than that. So what's it gonna be?"

Akane didn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ranma. I do trust you, really I do." Then she looked up suddenly, eyes fierce and wet with sudden tears. "But I don't trust the person who married Kuno. I'm scared of her. I'm scared that she's going to take you away from me again."

"That's ridiculous. She and I are the same people. Even Kuno knows that."

"No it's not!" she screamed. "Look! Your baby! God, she's beautiful. And she's not mine. You lived with him for two years; I had you for one year. You made this... this wonderful little girl with him..." She was openly crying now. "How am I supposed to feel? Ranma?"

He stared at her, digesting what she had said. "Okay. I can see why you'll be upset. But you're still going to have to let me go sometime, and it might as well be now. We've had two years apart, and you're living a different life now. I can't come back here and pick up where I left off. It doesn't feel right. Nothing is the same anymore, I am not the same person, and you are not either."

"Can you tell me, honestly tell me that you don't love him?"

He sighed. "No, no I can't."

Akane screwed her face, "So, you're gay now?"

Ranma frowned. "I see." He looked away, unable to look at her anymore. It was clear now. "Supposedly, if you and I were married... would you be gay? With my female side?"

Akane stammered, "that's different!"

"It is not." He replied stonily. "Do you realize that I am me, in both forms? It doesn't matter. Gender is a word. Male, female, there is no difference. You have proved yourself thousands time over that you are equal to any male. Why would that matters to you?"

Akane was stunned speechless. Ranma had it sorted out, and she hadn't.

"I would like us to be a friend. But it seems, we can't be until you come to term with who I am now." Ranma said and turned around, "Goodbye, Akane."

She stared at the door as it closed behind him. She slumped down in her chair, and the tears finally came.

* * *

Ranma's sleep was restless. He woke up periodically, his mind filled with thoughts of both Akane and Kuno. Akane had shown her true color to him. Kuno needed him, but he wasn't sure how to fit in.

Ranma got carefully out of bed, trying not to wake Nabiki. He and Kuno had been taking turn keeping Nabiki with them each night, sharing responsibility.

It had been few weeks since he moved into the Kuno household. True to Kuno's words, Kodachi and their father was no longer living there. Kuno has gone and erased all traces of them both and refurnished the house with new furniture and things, erasing all traces of his old lives. He even took down all the pictures of Akane and female Ranma from his room and changed the style. Now it looked like it belonged to the master of the Kuno household, Spartan and classy.

Ranma has been given a room of his own across the hall. It was a big nice traditional room, and Ranma had nothing to his name, and moving in was easy. All he had to bring a bag of clothes and few belongings and he was done. Kuno had offered to buy more clothes and things for him, but he declined. He was used to living simplistic lifestyle.

He stepped out onto the porch and sat down, looking to the sky. He had taken to do some sky watching when he was troubled.

Until Akane accepted the way things would be, he had to stay away. It hurt in his heart, his mind, and his pride.

He froze when little Nabiki started to squirm around behind him in her box. He pulled her box toward him and patted her back, watching her settle down once again, Ranma sighed.

He heard a light creak in the hallway behind him and the shoji door slide open. "Ranma?"

"Come in, Kuno." He replied softly.

The older man silently crept into the room and padded softly across to settle beside Ranma on the deck. "Can't sleep?"

"No. You?"

"I'm a light sleeper." He saw Ranma make a wry grin. "When I am not forcibly knocked out cold. I heard you and Nabiki."

Chuckling, Ranma nodded as he glanced down to Nabiki beside him. "Just thoughts."

Kuno hummed. "Akane is not coming around?" Ranma had told him about what had transpired between them and had to admit, Akane could be stubborn.

"If I know her that well, it will be a long time."

"Yes. At least you got Nabiki and me here."

Ranma laughed. "What a twisted fate of irony. If I were told couple years back that this is where I would end up, I would have committed the person into an institute."

"Or kick him into the low stratosphere."

"Or that, too." Ranma laughed. "We've come a long way."

"Yes."

Kuno looked over to Ranma. Few weeks they had been living together, and there was only a handful of time that he transformed into a female. And they were to feed Nabiki and few accidents. He was starting to understand how much of a water magnet Ranma was.

But they had not come anywhere close physically yet. He had missed holding her. Missed having her beside him in bed at night. Missed their lovemaking. The last time was on that raft. It was desperate and frantic. But now, it had been nearly a month since they came back to Japan. He inhaled and turned away.

Ranma glanced from the corner of his eyes, catching Kuno watching him. He knew the look on his face. Knew what he wanted.

He knew part of him was afraid to take the step forward. But at the same time, he wanted it too. Having missing being beside him, missing his touches. He glanced down to Nabiki. She was starting to squirm. It was almost feeding time.

He got up and went to his bathroom to change. She came back and settled down. Nabiki was wide awake and waiting. She picked the baby up and pulled her tank shirt up. Almost immediately Nabiki latched on and drank happily, making a light cooing sound as she suckled. Kuno watched them with a hint of adoration in his eyes.

After Nabiki had her fill and burped, she was back in dreamland, sleeping soundly.

"She would be out until morning," Ranma commented softly as she brushed Nabiki soft hair that curled around her face. "She starting to drink more during her feeding and needing less feeding time."

"She's growing."

"I should start weaning her."

Kuno almost felt sad at the thought.

Ranma looked up. "Kuno."

"Please," He said, "Tatewaki."

"Tatewaki," She tested the name out. "It's strange. You were always Kuno and then Ukyo to me."

He turned his head to her. "As you were my pigtailed goddess, then Akane. But I have come to term and accepted Ranma. With all of my memories in place, the previous names weren't right."

She bobbed her head slowly. "You're right." She moved the box back the bed's side and sat on the futon. "Tate." She held out her hand to him. "Come here."

He took her hand, unsure as he moved to her side. She leaned up and kissed him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, missing the feel of her body in his arms. He waited for the recoil and rejected but none came.

She leaned back, "I hate to admit this... I miss this."

He looked down at her, "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "I... I missed it. It felt good, and I want to."

It was enough for him, he leaned down and kissed her with as much passion and love he could pour. His hand slipped up her shirt, and he found the soft mound. She moaned and pushed her petite body against him, relishing in the feeling their bodies were making.

* * *

She yawned and woke to a soft cry coming from the box beside her bed. She blinked and moved to sit up but found she was restrained. She looked down to see an arm across her midsection. Memories of the night before came to her, and she felt a tinge of horror before the rush of warmth flooding her body. She moved the arm, and suddenly Kuno shifted and curled against her side as he had always done when they slept together. She reached over and picked up a grumpy Nabiki.

"Mm, not a morning person, aren't you?" She asked as she brought the babe to her breast. She winced as her daughter clamped on tight. "Easy...easy." She muttered and shifted to hold her baby comfortably. She leaned back against the wall and allowed her thought drift.

It was pleasurable the night before. She had missed it and Kuno, she had to admit, was a good lover. He knew her favorite spots and how to make her body sing. She frowned, what of her male body? Would she ever know sex the way a man would? It was kind of unfair, with her being the female in the relationship while she was male. How would they remedy that? She wasn't sure.

She winced as Nabiki pulled at her and glanced down to find her daughter trying to suckle more milk out of her spent breast and shifted to change breast.

She raised Nabiki to her shoulder and patted the tiny back gently until the baby burped. She settled the baby in her blanket covered lap and wriggled her fingers, smiling as Nabiki waved her hands, trying to grasp the wriggling appendage.

Ranma's eyes lifted to find Kuno awake and watching her silently from his side of the bed. She smiled at him a good morning. He returned it and rolled to his side.

"I just remembered a cafe in town that had good coffee." He started.

Ranma's eyebrow rose. "Oh?"

"Fancy a walk to the cafe for breakfast? We do need to get some more nappies for her."

Ranma nodded and laid Nabiki down in her box. She was yawning and falling back to sleep. "Let me go wash up and get dressed." She rose, allowing the blanket slip off her. "Join me?"

Kuno shrugged and rose as well, following her into the bathroom. They grabbed their buckets and entered the inner bath and started to wash.

Ranma was quite as she started to wash her body. She recalled the night before and how she had enjoyed it. She gave a side-eye glance to Kuno who was washing. He had his eyes closed as he started to scrub his face. She took the chance to appraise his physique. He was still tanned from the island, as she was. The body was very familiar to her as she had come to know it in the past two years. She felt the slight heat of arousal when she took in his manhood, remembering how it had pounded pleasure into her over and over the night before. She quickly looked away, wondering if she should feel shame because she is a man as well.

She sighed and raised the bucket with cool water and dumped it over her head. She shivered at the rush of water. Blinking her eyes open, she saw his offered hand and took it. He took her over to the furo and let go. She watched as he slid in and sighed as the heat engulfed him.

He opened his eyes and stared at Ranma, asking, "What is it? Come on in."

Ranma fiddled with her fingers. "It's warm."

"Yeah?" He replied and then understood as he nodded. He gestured to space in front of him. "Plenty of room."

Ranma saw the look of understanding on his face but was mildly surprised as he gestured for her to get in. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Your transformation? No. I had time to think about it. Deep down, I knew you were one and same back then before the island, but denied it. But now, I don't see the body you are in but who you are from the inside. That's why I was afraid to lose you to Akane..." he lowered his hands into the water to hide the clenching from her sight. But it didn't go unnoticed by her that his jaws clenched. "I've told you time again and again how I felt. But what about you?"

Ranma blinked, dumbfounded by the question. She looked to the furo and reached out slowly. "I... I am still getting used to it." She stepped up on the step and slid her leg into the water, the warmth was inviting, and she allowed her other leg to step in and slid down to sit, the water covering her body and triggering her transformation.

Ranma looked up at Kuno and saw a gentle smile on the other man's face. He couldn't help but respond with his own.

"There you go," Kuno said as he leaned back and rested his head on the ledge. "Until you are ready, I will wait."

Ranma tilted his head, "What?"

"I understand you're unsure of your sexuality despite what we did last night. But I have come to term with my own."

Ranma's legs brushed against Kuno; he couldn't help it, the furo wasn't exactly a very large one. It was a standard size, even if it had just enough room for two grown men to sit in it. He watched, waiting for a hint of a flinch from Kuno but found none. "And what would you say your sexuality was?"

Kuno tilted his head forward and replied, "I'm bisexual. When it comes to you."

"Oh." Ranma murmured and fell silent. Kuno had done it again, pointing out something obvious that he had not seen yet. He looked up to the other man, who had his head leaned back on the ledge and his eyes closed, relaxing.

On the island, it was simple. It was them and no one else. They were trying to survive day to day, build shelter and fight against the wild dogs. The temple that hovered on the edge of their minds, driving them to near insanity and fighting for their survival. They allowed their most basic needs and desire take over without question. They sought comfort and support from each other. In all, they had no choices, and from that, they developed an understanding and bond that no one could match. From that connection, their love grew, and it was simple.

And he missed it.

With coming back to Japan, remembering everything, feeling confused and mixed up, and it all seemed so complicated. One set of memories and feelings fought with the new ones, leaving him a mess inside. But the feelings he came to develop on the island was stronger and beginning to dominate the older feelings, making everything complicated.

Kuno just took it in stride and went with it.

Why hasn't he?

There was Akane.

The honor his mother demands of him.

The whole training to be a man among men.

All of that clashed with who he is now.

Kuno opened his eyes to find Ranma staring blankly at the surface of the water, lost in his mind. He reached over and brushed the black lock back, snapping the other man out of his reverie. "Let's get breakfast."

Ranma nodded and got up, following Kuno out of the bathroom to get dressed.

* * *

"That was good coffee," Ranma said as he walked beside Kuno who was holding Nabiki. They had decided to collect few things at the market for dinner and refill the nappy stock.

"Yes. I was worried for a bit there that it would be no longer there. I am glad it is still there." Kuno said as he paused to look a stall for some food. "Their coffee is best in the area."

Ranma hummed his agreement and stretched, folding his arms behind his head as he held the bag of things they had bought. He looked to the sky, feeling content at the moment. He could hear Nabiki coo among the din of the market noise.

Then, "Ranma?" He turned to the familiar voice and found Kasumi approaching him. She had a couple of bags full of food in hands and smiled at him. "We missed you at home."

Ranma chuckled weakly. "Uh, sorry 'bout that."

Kasumi glanced over to find Kuno turning around and gasped softly. "Oh, it's true. Who is this darling?" She gave Nabiki a tickle and a baby talk, getting a giggle and a coo in return.

Ranma felt pride swell inside. "Our kid."

The eldest Tendo sister blinked and looked up to Ranma. She glanced at Kuno and back to Ranma. Her mind's wheel whirred, and she blinked again before replying, "She is beautiful. Akane didn't say much. She was very upset the day you left. We couldn't get much out of her." Kasumi explained, eyeing Kuno with apprehension.

Ranma nodded somberly. That was to be expected. He had left abruptly without explanation after his fight with Akane. He couldn't blame her for being angry. "Yeah. Well, I didn't feel right to stay at your place. I am staying with him. It's better for Nabiki to have both of her parents around. It was all she known."

Kasumi's eyes widened. "Oh! Nabiki? She would be honored."

"Eh," Ranma laughed. "It was all we remembered, and we liked the name. We didn't remember anything until we came back."

Kasumi nodded slowly. "Well, I understand. You know you are always welcomed at our house." She turned to Kuno and bowed, "you too."

"Thank you," Kuno said as he shifted Nabiki in his arm. "But it might be best if we don't come around for a while."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah, I am sure Akane wants to kill us both."

Kasumi frowned. "Why would she? She didn't exactly explain."

Ranma sighed as his shoulders dropped. "I ended things with Akane. I..." he glanced over to Kuno for help.

The older man reached out and gripped Ranma's shoulder and filled in. "We are together, as partners and parents."

Kasumi's gasped, she covered her mouth as her eyes darted back and forth between the two men. "Oh." Then she dropped her hand and bowed. "Forgive me. I understand. I hope you both are happy. She is such a beautiful girl. But do visit and we'd like to hear the full story eventually." She waved as she turned to walk away. "As for Akane, yes, she does need to cool her jets. Bye-bye!"

Ranma stared after the older woman. "That's why I liked her. She was the most level-headed of the entire Tendo clan."

Kuno chuckled. "Perhaps out of all of us. Come on." He turned and moved to the next stall.

Ranma grinned and wrapped his arm around Kuno's waist. Everyone's opinions didn't matter to them. What mattered was their happiness. He leaned over and poked Nabiki's nose. "Someday, you're going to meet your namesake, and I'm going to warn you now, don't lose your money to her schemes."

Kuno laughed.

* * *

Nabiki wandered into the kitchen and found her older sister chopping vegetables away for dinner. She opened the fridge and took out a can of soda.

"What's for dinner?"

"Soba noodles and fried shrimps. I found some good fresh shrimps on the market today." Kasumi replied.

"Sound good," Nabiki replied as she started to leave the kitchen.

"I ran into Ranma." Nabiki paused as she reached the door and turned slowly to her sister who was still chopping the carrots.

"Say what?"

Kasumi stopped and turned to her sister, "I saw Ranma in the market today."

"Oh? How is he? Where is he living now? Why did he leave?" Nabiki rattled off the questions as she approached her sister's side again.

Kasumi shook her head in amusement and sighed. She turned back to chopping the carrots. "Ranma seems fine. He was with this guy… he was in your class…"

Nabiki's eyes widened, "Kuno?"

"Yes." The eldest sister placed the chopped carrots into the pot and started on the bok choy. "They were shopping. They had a child with them."

Nabiki grasped Kasumi's arm. "Kasumi! Stop chopping the food!" The eldest did just that and turned to her younger sister. "You know Akane didn't tell us everything. What did you find out?"

Kasumi wiped her hands on her apron. "As I understand this, Ranma and Kuno was lost for two years, assumed dead. They survived on an island and together, they had a daughter. Ranma ended the engagement with Akane and did not feel comfortable living here, so he is with Kuno."

Nabiki's jaw dropped. "What… uh, you're telling me that Ranma and Kuno…" She pointed her forefingers together to empathize the idea. "Together?"

Kasumi nodded. "And they have a daughter. An adorable baby, her name is Nabiki." She smiled.

Nabiki stammered. "I am not sure why they named her after you, but you should be proud. It's a beautiful girl. I wish you could see her."

"You know. I think I need to see them and find out what's going on. To clear things up. Ranma shows up out of the blue then disappear. Akane was starting to move on, but it seemed she just took a step back. Now you say there's a baby in the whole mess. What's next? Kuno's cursed too?"

Kasumi shook her head and turned back to her cooking. "Give it a bit. We'll know when the time comes. But I am content to know Ranma is okay. Akane, on the other hand… I am afraid; she will need to let this one go and move on."

Nabiki nodded grimly. "You're right, Kasumi." She turned and left the kitchen.

* * *

Note:

Ranma is still trying to figure out his sexuality here but he's starting to accept it. He still has few things to deal with ahead of here.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning: Yaoi lime.

 **Finding Bliss**

Part Three

Ranma took Nabiki from Kuno as they finished cleaning the kitchen and leaned over, kissing Kuno. "Mm, thanks." Then he blinked, realizing what he had done. He chuckled nervously. "That was a force of habit..."

Kuno raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I didn't mind." He leaned down and pecked Ranma's lips before retreating, leaving the other man to wonder.

Up to now, they had only shared simple physical touches when Ranma was in his male form and had sex few times when he was female. But it had not fully transitioned to the point where they were comfortable in either of his forms as full lovers.

The whole time, Kuno was waiting for him to become fully comfortable to receive and give physical affection in both of his forms. As a female, he found it easier. But as male, he was hesitant, a habit so deeply integrated into him from his parents and everyone else expectation for him to be a man among men.

Ranma looked down to Nabiki, who gurgled at him. "If he didn't mind, then I don't. Come on, let's put you down for a nap." He turned and walked toward his room, patting Nabiki who was fast falling asleep. He laid her down and smiled. "You know, I wouldn't mind having another baby, just to give you sibling..." He shook his head.

It had been several months that he and Kuno had been living together and they fell into an easy routine every day. They would get up in the morning, take turns cook breakfast, feed Nabiki now they have started to transition her to formula bottle and rice cereal. She still preferred her mother's breast. Then they would spend time during Nabiki's nap to train together. The rest of the day was simple as going out or staying in. Ranma would focus on training Nabiki with her eye-hand coordination by playing various of games. Kuno would read books to her and play with her. Then they spent the evening together in each other company after dinner. On few occasions, they shared a bed together.

Kuno had considered finding a job despite he had more than enough money to support them both without ever having to work. He just wanted to stay busy. Ranma had agreed and thought of finding a dojo and teach soon. They are still unsure about their future, slowly integrating their lives back into the community of Nermia.

He stood up; there was something he was curious about for a while. Now would be the best time to find out. He left the room and went to look for Kuno.

He found him in the dojo, going through his exercise with the bokken. He leaned against the door frame, watching the other man.

Kuno paused and lowered his bokken. "Ranma?"

The younger man stood up and gestured for him to follow. Kuno fell into step beside him and asked, "What is it?"

Ranma paused beside Kuno's bedroom door and slid it open. He entered and turned around, waiting for Kuno. He nervously wrung his hands and glanced at the floor.

The shoji door closed and Kuno turned to find Ranma looking nervous. He frowned and stepped up, reaching out and lifted Ranma's chin up. "What is it?"

Ranma looked up into Kuno's eyes. "Tatewaki... uh, I was wondering... since we've done it with my female side... what about me as I am now?"

Kuno's eyebrows rose. "Uh, you mean like this?" He gestured between them. "As we are?"

"Yeah?"

Kuno stood there, gears churned in his head. If it were a few years ago, he would have proclaimed it foul sorcery and vile. But he had grown since then and found love in the most unusual place. He ran his hand up through Ranma's hair and stepped closer. "You want to try?"

Ranma froze. Did he want to? He was curious. He gave a tiny hint of a nod.

Kuno smiled, "Now?"

Before Ranma could change his mind, he blurted, "I figured, Nabiki's asleep... uh... I guess..."

Kuno leaned in and kissed Ranma, effectively shutting him up. He wrapped his arm around the other man's waist. His body felt different in this form, and it was interesting. He kissed along down Ranma's neck. One thing he loved about Ranma that he smelled just the same in either form.

Ranma rolled his eyes back; he could feel the fire burn in his belly. The sensation was similar as he had felt when he was female. Kuno was nibbling down his neck, and he bit back a groan. He reached up to Kuno's chest and started to pull at the ties, shedding the haori.

Kuno's hands deftly unclasped the frog latch on Ranma's Chinese shirt and slid it off the other man's shoulders. His hands came back and roamed on the strong and flat chest. He leaned back and glanced down, his fingers exploring the plane of the tanned skin. He looked up to see Ranma looking at him expectantly. Then he pushed the other man down onto his bed and crawled on all four to hover above Ranma.

Ranma's hands went up to Kuno's waist. He looked up at the bigger man and swallowed. He had been with him so many times as a female and yet; it was different when being male. It was as if he was doing this for the first time all over again. He could see the nervousness in the other man's eyes, reflecting his own. He raised his hand and pulled Kuno's head down to kiss him. They needed to know, to push the boundary of their relationship. Once they get past this, they would have a better understanding where they stand in their relationship.

Kuno's hands explored the hard lines of Ranma's body, relishing in the feel of the skin. His hands went down to Ranma's waistband and paused. He felt Ranma push his hips into his hands and took it as a confirmation. His hand slipped past the band, and he found the hardened manhood and started to stroke it.

Ranma groaned and pushed his hips into Kuno's hand, urging him on. It felt so good. He reached down and did the same to Kuno's, taking the other man's manhood and stroked it. Frantically, they shed the last pieces of their clothes and tangled their naked bodies together, caressing and rubbing against each other. Kisses and love bites were exchanged.

Kuno rolled over and grasped the smaller man to straddle him. He looked up to Ranma with hooded eyes as he grasped their shafts together and started to rub them. Ranma rocked his hips along in the rhythm and rolled his head back as he felt the peak coming.

"Ah…" He groaned as Kuno added his palm to the top of their heads and rubbed. "I'm coming…" Ranma warned and shuddered as they came together. He panted and collapsed to lie on top of Kuno.

"That's a start." Kuno murmured in Ranma's hair. "We'll work our way through this, together. I love you."

Ranma buried his nose into the depress of Kuno's shoulder, inhaling the other man's scent. "Luwffuoo." His voice muffled. Kuno laughed.

* * *

Nabiki stared up at the gate to the Kuno household. The size of the property was about 1/3 time larger than the Tendo property, and there was a time she had considered Kuno as a potential suitor. He had money to sustain for several lifetimes. But since the fateful day when Ranma and Kuno were declared dead along with few others, she had moved on and forgotten about the Kuno clan.

Now he was back with Ranma, alive and kicking. She wondered how Ranma was able to put up with Kuno's craziness. It was unbelievable even to think that Ranma and Kuno were together. Of all the people. She shook her head and pushed the gate open.

She tensed and walked through the garden, keeping to the path. Her eyes darted about, expecting for a loud ho-ho-ho from the Black Rose or a declaration from the Blue Thunder.

Nothing, the garden was silent. She noticed now that it seemed different. The large pond that once held Mr. Turtle was filled in, and garden of flowers took its place. A new smaller pond was placed in closer to where the family room would be located. Some trees were cut, newer smaller tree placed. The whole property had a different feel to it. It no longer felt mysterious or ominous. It just felt like any other property.

She went up to the door and pressed the bell. It rang with a simple but merry tone. The door opened shortly and she had to inhale, looking up to Kuno.

He filled out, growing into a taller man, with broad shoulder and sharp angular feature. His hair was slightly shorter, but neater, combed to the side. His eyes held a hard wizened glint to them. His skin was much darker, even tan that suited him. He was attractive, easily a model. He wore expensive casual clothes, not the usual hakama and haori she has come to known him to use. Put him in a suit; he'd pass off as a president of a company efficiently and a formidable one. It was enough to weaken her knees. She cursed inwardly.

"Tendo Nabiki," Kuno said, surprised to see her at the door. He had not expected her at all. She appeared the same to him, straight cut bob hair and fashionable outfit. She only looked slightly older but not so much. He pushed the door wider and allowed her to step in.

She bowed her thanks and slid her white sneakers off and followed the man through the house. She could tell it was different. Gone were the familiar decor. It felt more Spartan and simplistic.

He turned as they entered the family room. "Please. I assume you are here to talk with Ranma."

Nabiki nodded. "More of, the both of you. If you don't mind."

Kuno shook his head. "No. I'll get him. He's in the dojo. Please wait here." He left, leaving Nabiki to settle on one of the cushions at the table. The shoji wall was open, revealing the garden. It was similar to her family room. However, the pond was not directly in front of the room, but off to the side. There was a small open ground with a large elm tree near the wall. She blinked, noticing a baby swing hung from the branch. She finally spotted several toys lying in the grass, a ball and a walking scooter in pink and purple. She swallowed, she had never met the baby, and the evidence before her made it a reality. She glanced around the family room and found more evidence of the child. A toy box in the corner. A mat to the side for lying on, it was pink and purple, with a frilly edge.

A booster chair was partially hidden under the table on the other end.

She looked up to see Ranma and Kuno enter the room. Ranma was holding the most adorable baby girl she has ever seen. She was no more than 7 or 8 months old.

"Nabiki," Ranma said as he sat down and settled the baby in his lap.

Kuno sat with a tray and started to pour tea into cups before passing them.

"What bring you here?" Ranma asked as he took the cup. Nabiki-chan cooed in his lap, slapping at the table and giggling.

Nabiki found herself speechless as she stared at the baby. Finally, she said, "I came to find out what is going on. I only got partial from Akane and a little from Kasumi. She tells me that you had a baby and named her after me?"

Kuno smiled. "Yes." Nabiki turned to the head of the house. "As you may know, we were on an island for two years, without memory. We had no idea who we were. We only had fragments of memories and assumed Ranma's name was Akane and mine was Ukyo. We called each other those names for two years. When Nabiki-Chan was born, we had no idea what to call her. Since we didn't remember any name, we could use. Nabiki was the only name I recalled." He glanced at the baby, allowing her to grasp his finger. "We didn't know where or who Nabiki was. We just liked the name and gave it to her."

"Wow." Nabiki murmured. "I don't know if I should be honored or what."

Ranma grinned, "Just be honored. When we had our memories returned to us, we didn't think or feel the need to change her name. Nabiki, this is Nabiki-chan." He lifted the baby, "wanna hold her?"

"Ah. Hehe, heh, I don't know." With mild horror, she found that Ranma hadn't waited for an answer, and was thrusting the kid at her. Not knowing what else to do, she took it.

Nabiki stared at the baby.

The baby stared at Nabiki.

"Stain the 1000 yen shirt, kid, and you're in trouble," she told it dazedly.

The baby considered this.

"Yen."

Ranma stared at his daughter. "Hey... hey, Nabiki-chan just said her first word! I don't believe it!"

Nabiki beamed. "Hey, I think I like this kid."

"Yen."

She nodded. "Yup. Definitely, like her."

Kuno looked on with mirth and happiness.

"Nabiki, you've corrupted my daughter, haven't you," Ranma said, tone mixing horror and amusement. She shrugged.

"I call it an improvement. Are you _sure_ this is your kid, Ranma?"

"Yen," little Nabiki said happily.

Ranma took his daughter back and settled her down again in his lap. "Now we're stuck with hearing that." He gave an amused look to Kuno.

Nabiki gave a lopsided grin before it faded. "Ranma, you came back home and then you were gone the next day. What happened?"

Ranma handed Nabiki-chan to Kuno and turned his full attention to Nabiki, his face somber. "When we came back, we were placed in the hospital to find out who our families were and wait for them. We were there for a couple of days. They called Akane, and she came. I still didn't have any memory..."

He told the entire exchange that happened between himself and Akane, how she managed to trigger his memory and how he had reacted horribly. To the point that he nearly killed himself.

Ranma looked down at his hands on the table. "With my memories return, I was confused and lost. Akane told me she loved me. I had waited so long to hear that from her, but by then, it was too late. I no longer felt the same as I did." He glanced at Kuno who was cradling a drowsy baby in his arms. "I came home with her, and I thought about it. Akane and I had some talk on the rooftop that night."

"Yeah, I remember she was noisy." Nabiki murmured. "I had thought she finally found some guy and moved on. You gave me a quiet scare the next morning."

Ranma half grinned. "Yeah, I wanted to do that for a long time to you. So, not sorry."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Well, what made you leave?"

Ranma sighed. "Kuno came that afternoon. Akane was pissed at him and told him to leave. But I had to talk to him, to sort out the mixed feeling. Kuno was the only person besides myself on that island. I told Akane to shut it and let him come in. Nabiki-Chan was hungry and refused to eat for Kuno. She missed me." He took another look at his daughter, now fast asleep beside Kuno on the blanket. "Kuno and I talked. It became clear that I still loved him."

"And I him too." Kuno supplied.

Nabiki looked at Kuno with surprise. "Even now you know who he is?"

"Yes." Kuno nodded. "When Ranma transformed in the hospital, I was shocked. I was also upset and confused. When I came home alone that night, my memory returned, and I hated myself. Hated my old self. I wanted to kill myself too, but Nabiki-chan here was the only thing I had to live for. It was because of her that I had to go and see Ranma again and face him. When we talked, it was clear that we both had changed. I became Ukyo Kuno and he," he gestured to Ranma, "Akane Ranma. We were not the same people anymore. We decided it was best for Nabiki that he move in here and co-parent with me for Nabiki's sake."

Ranma nodded and turned back to Nabiki. "I told Akane, and you know how she is. She got upset and angry. Accused Kuno of molesting me and taking advantage of me. Which wasn't true. Kuno and I had no memories of who we were. Everything we did together was with our full consent, and we loved each other. It was simple at that."

Nabiki rested her chin on her fist. "I get it. Being stuck in female form for two years, with no idea. I don't blame you. Akane had a hard time accepting you were gone. It took several months for her to get out of her funk. She almost killed herself twice. It was hard on all of us, with what happened afterward."

Ranma bowed his head. "I know. I feel bad about it. It was my fault... I should not have gone after the cure."

Nabiki shook her head. "No. It was no one's fault. You have been looking for a cure for your curse for a long time. It happened to be a really bad mess you all got into."

Ranma nodded. "I did find a cure."

Nabiki's eyes widened. "Really? So you no longer become a girl?"

Ranma shook his head. "No. I still change. The cure was accepting myself, who I am."

Nabiki nearly fell over in shock. She righted herself, "but... but what of the whole being man of men? Whatever it is?"

Ranma gave a wry grin. "It was something I told Akane; I guess she's still smarting about it. Akane accused me of being gay because I chose to be with Kuno. I told her it would have been the same thing if I was with her, just in the opposite form. I had come to realize; it didn't matter which gender I was; I am Saotome Ranma. The girl side, the boy side, all of that, I am who I am. I never lost my manhood. I am the same person in either form. It was Kuno who helped me to see that clarity."

Nabiki glanced at the other man, surprised to see a calm and loving expression on the man's face, directed toward Ranma. It made her heart hitch. She glanced back to Ranma and found the same expression reflecting back to Kuno. She could see that they found each other on the island. There was something unspeakable between them. She understood that if Ranma were to marry Akane, he would be missing his half and Akane would never understand him. Akane would have never accepted him fully for who he is.

Kuno just did that, and it was what Ranma needed. She wiped her eyes before anyone could notice her tears.

"You both grew up beyond our reach. We could never catch up with you two." Nabiki said as she stood up. "Thank you for sharing with me. I understand and give you my blessing." She bowed. "I wish you two the best luck."

Ranma and Kuno stood, bowing in return.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me," Ranma said, and they walked Nabiki to the door.

She stepped out and turned back to see Ranma standing in front of Kuno, almost leaning back against the taller man. She smiled, seeing how they complimented each other and mentally wished them all the lucks in the world. They deserved it. She gave them a wave and left.

Kuno rested his chin on Ranma's shoulder, wrapping his arm around his waist as they watched Nabiki disappear. "A cure?"

Ranma wrapped his arm around Kuno's arm. "I mean what I said. I am not going to go out and try to find the cure to get rid of my girl side ever again. There was a reason why I was never able to get the cure, no matter how close I came to it. And it brought me here, where I need to be the most." He turned around and wrapped his arm around Kuno's neck and gave a deep kiss.

* * *

Ranma woke and sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from his face. Something was wrong. He glanced around his room, Nabiki's box was gone, and he recalled it was Kuno's night. He got up from the futon and listened.

"Akane, please don't die… no! Akane!"

Ranma padded across the room and slid the shoji and across the hall to Kuno's room. He could hear frantic trashing and murmuring coming from inside Kuno's room. He slid the shoji quietly and went to bed.

"Akane! I can't live without you… no! Get away!" Kuno murmured and trashed, waving his arms. The sheet was tangled around his legs.

Ranma reached over and shook Kuno's shoulder. He knew Kuno was back on the island. He shuddered, having the same nightmares sometimes. Some nights were bad like this one, and some nights were good. The island, they could not deny it, was a beautiful place, but a terrible place as well.

"Tate…" Ranma gripped the other man's shoulder. Kuno still trashed. "Tatewaki!"

"Akane! Take Nabiki!"

Ranma climbed onto the bed and then onto Kuno, to still his trashing before he hurt himself. He locked the taller man's legs with his own and bore down his weight onto Kuno by holding his shoulders down. "UKYO! Wake up!"

Kuno's eyes snapped open, and he panted. "What… oh." He stared up into worried Ranma's face. The blue eyes shone with concerns. "Uh, did I wake Nabiki?" They glanced over at the box beside the bed. Nabiki squirmed and settled again, still sleeping.

"No." Ranma slid off Kuno. "You were having nightmare… that place again."

Kuno nodded and got up to go to the bathroom and returned with a hand towel, wiping his face and neck. "Thank you for waking me… sometimes the dreams feel real and I get locked in."

"I know," Ranma said as he got up to leave. "I get it too."

"Please… stay?" Kuno looked vulnerable as he stared at Ranma.

Ranma turned and returned to bed and slid in. He waited as Kuno climbed back into bed and grasped the other man, pulling him close. Then it started, Kuno broke down crying as he held tight to Ranma. He stroked the caramel brown hair, murmuring assurance. They were troubled, and they only had each other to understand. It was a good thing they had each other to rely on.

"It's all over… the island's gone."

Kuno nodded. "But it will always be with us."

"Yeah."

* * *

Ranma stood before the empty building that once was Nekohaten. Memories of the place and the occupants swam in his head. He felt the need to visit the restaurant, to pay his respect. His heart hurts for the Chinese family. Even though Shampoo chased after him, trying to make him her husband and Cologne helping her granddaughter and challenging him at every chance; they were friends and family to him.

He clenched his hands in his pants pocket, fighting back the swell of pain in his chest. He recalled the horror Shampoo and Mousse went through. His last memory of those two was nightmare inducing. Mousse was dead and Shampoo on the brink of death, losing her mind in the process. From what he had heard from Akane and Kasumi, Cologne took Shampoo back where she took a long time to recover. And that was it.

He turned and walked away. He walked and walked until he came to the gravesite. Kasumi told him that they had a grave for him even there was nobody. She told him where it was.

He found his way to the site and glanced down at the tombstone with his name etched on it. He chuckled weakly.

The irony.

The grave was fitting; it was a symbol representing the death of his old self. The masochist young man who strived to be a man among men. Who vainly sought the cure to get rid of his female half and dragged his friends along, endangering them. He shook his head and turned away. He walked, and a name caught his eyes. He turned to find a tombstone with 'Kunoji Ukyo' etched on it. He shuddered and fell to his knees as tears flowed freely. He cried until he couldn't cry anymore. He couldn't speak, his throat wouldn't let him, being choked with emotions.

He closed his eyes, the memory of her getting torn apart by the monstrous beast played over and over in his mind. He wished that he was back on the island, without memory. It was easier then, just not remember or know.

Ukyo was his dearest and longtime friend. She didn't deserve to die. Not in such gruesome way. He gripped the tombstone and bowed his head. Finally, he found the will to speak, "I am so sorry, Ukyo. You did not deserve to die a horrible death. I'll atone for it forever."

He got up and turned, walking away.

Akane watched as he turned the corner and disappeared. She wiped her face with tears. She had come to visit the grave but did not expect to find him there. She had watched as he stood over his own grave and then cried on Ukyo's. She stepped out of the shadow of the tree she was hiding behind and approached Ukyo's site. She laid down the flower and caressed the tomb.

"Ranma had changed." She said softly and laughed softly. "If you were alive and seen him, you would have tried to bash some senses in him and then serve him a congratulatory okonomiyaki." She sighed. "He's much happier with Kuno. Did you know that Kuno thought his name was Ukyo?" She smiled. "Ranma even though his name was Akane. It's strange. They were the only names they remembered. I wonder, what was their life like on the island. I am sure it was wonderful." She frowned, "But he said it was terrible. Cursed. He has that look in his eyes sometimes. I guess, he was right. I would never know or understand." She stood up. "Watch over them, Ukyo. For me, at least." She turned and left.

* * *

Kuno leaned back on the couch as he flicked through the channels with Ranma lying across the sofa with his head on his lap, turned toward the t.v.

"There's not much on tonight," Kuno said as he kept flicking through the hundreds of channels. His father still subscribed to the cable company and he had considered cutting it off because they barely watch any t.v. It was one of that night where it was raining hard, and they didn't feel like doing anything.

"Eh," Ranma glanced in the t.v. guide for anything interesting. "The Seven Samurai's on."

"What channel?"

"Uhm, 756."

Kuno pressed the number, and his thumb slipped, hitting 789 instead. The sound of moaning and slapping filled the room, and they both looked at the screen with horror.

Kuno cursed and frantically tried to change the channel but dropped the remote. Ranma's eyes widened as he watched the action on the screen.

"Wait..." Ranma said as Kuno picked up the remote. "Look... is that what I think they're doing?"

Kuno looked up and stared in surprise. "Yes... is that how it is done?" They watched as a man slam his erect rod into another man's backdoor and enjoying it. Both men moaned and kept rocking. The camera shifted view to the underside of the second man, close up of the genitals swaying and slapping each other.

Ranma grimaced, "I do not want to see that!"

The scene shifted to the second couple, one man giving another man a blowjob and jacking himself off.

Kuno blinked and shuddered. He lifted the remote and clicked, changing the channel before turning the t.v. off. He glanced over to Ranma to find him wide-eyed, with abated horror within. "I am cutting the subscription to the cable tomorrow. I wouldn't want Nabiki to find this when she gets older."

Ranma slowly nodded as they stood up and went to their bedrooms. As Ranma reached his door, he turned to Kuno and asked, "Tate, would you want to do that?"

Kuno paused. It was a valid question, given their relationship. He just had no idea it could be done that way. He turned to Ranma and observed the other man. He never thought of ever doing such thing with another man, and now he was in a relationship with one. They were awkward with each other, and he had admitted he had an advantage over Ranma, with him being able to change into a female on a whim to satisfy their needs. Subconsciously, he knew he was unfair to Ranma; he had no way to be with a woman unless Kuno let him go. And he did not want to.

Somehow, the porn they stumbled on opened a new door to them. He suddenly was curious. "Never crossed my mind... uhm, I would try it... if you want to."

Ranma blinked and shrugged. "I got to think about it. If we do..."

Kuno smirked, "Yeah, I'd be the one getting shoved up the ass." Ranma laughed. "It's only fair to you."

* * *

"Ranma." Ranma looked up to see a letter handed to him by Kuno. "You got a letter." He placed the baby food down and gave Nabiki a baby cracker to munch. He took the letter and opened it.

"It's from Kasumi." He said as he read the letter. "They're formally inviting me over for a family meeting tomorrow."

"I see. Do you want me to come along?" Kuno asked, wiping the cracker drool from Nabiki's face.

Ranma shook his head. "They want me to go alone."

"Will you be all right?"

"Yeah. I know it's been a while since I've seen them. I didn't exactly leave with a good term."

The next day, Ranma approached the Tendo property and looked up to the gate. He glanced at the wall beside the gate; he could see the mismatched tone of the paint on the wall. He remembered how Shampoo used her chúi to knock the wall down. He smirked at the memory. It was a crazy time then. The smirk faded as he remembered the fate that befell Shampoo and wondered how she was faring. Last he heard that she wasn't doing so well. He inhaled and stepped up to the gate and pulled the string to ring the bell.

The gate opened, and Kasumi greeted him with a smile. "Come on in."

Ranma followed her into the house and the family room. He saw the entire members of the Tendo family sitting around the table. Soun in his usual place at the head. Kasumi took her place to the right of her father and Nabiki next to her. Akane sat at the end of the table with a sullen look on her face.

Ranma took his place across from Kasumi and Nabiki and rested his hands in his lap. He glanced around the table, taking in everyone. Kasumi had her usual smile on her face. Nabiki looked bored but greeted him with a quick smile. Akane refused to meet his eyes, with a scowl on her face. Soun terrified him the most at the moment; he looked dead serious. Then he realized, he was a grown man, and he no longer needs to obey or report to the head of the house anymore. He no longer lived there. He belonged only to himself.

"Thank you for coming, Ranma." Kasumi started. "We asked you to come here so we can talk about, well, the engagement between you and Akane."

Soun turned his head to Ranma. "Explain yourself, Saotome."

Ranma steeled himself and turned to the elder Tendo. "I ended the engagement with Akane the night I returned to Japan. I felt it was for the best because I wasn't the same person as I was when I left."

Tendo frowned. "You are honor-bound to keep your promise to marry Akane. You dishonor her by breaking the engagement."

Ranma dropped his head slightly. "I understand that. But, the engagement became null and void because…" He swallowed, "I was dead for two years. That Saotome Ranma Akane was engaged to died back then."

"Yet, you are sitting here and alive." Tendo pointed out.

Ranma nodded. "You're not wrong, but I am not the same person. I lost my memory and lived without it for two years. I became someone else entirely. When I regained my memory that night when I returned, I didn't feel like I was the same person anymore. My feeling for Akane had changed."

Tendo glared. "You should've waited and allowed yourself time to reconcile with Akane."

Ranma's frown deepened. "I am sorry. It would not have worked anyway. I would have been miserable. I was lost, confused, and I had a child to think about."

Soun exploded, "A child!? Have you gone and fathered a bastard?"

Kasumi gasped, "Oh my… Father, uh…"

Nabiki grimaced. "Right, we all forgot to tell him."

Akane stared at her father in shock. "Dad, no… that's not…"

Ranma slammed his hand down on the table. "No. That's not what happened! I had a baby, as a woman! How do you think I felt when I realized that in that moment?"

Soun looked furious. His fists curled on the table, and he leaned forward, his aura rising threateningly. "Who forced upon you?"

Ranma deflated and sighed. He turned to the eldest sister, "Uh, didn't anyone fill him in?"

Akane looked shameful, looking down to her lap. Nabiki shrugged. Kasumi blinked.

"Fill me in on what?" Soun asked, turning his furious glare to his daughters.

Akane spoke up without raising her head. "Father, Ranma was on the island for two years as a female. He wasn't alone. He was with Kuno. Both of them didn't remember who they were. Things happened, and they had a daughter." She finally looked up, looking defeated for the first time. "They developed feelings for each other and became more of a husband and wife." She turned to Ranma. "When he came back, he remembered, but his feeling remained the same. He's with Kuno now, raising their daughter together."

Soun turned to Ranma. "Is this true?" Ranma nodded. "So, you chose to live as a female and play wife with this Kuno?"

Ranma closed his eyes, knowing what would come. "No. Kuno and I are lovers, as men." He heard Akane stifle a sob. He opened his eyes to level with Soun.

Soun's eyes were twitching, and a vein throbbed in his forehead. He clenched his jaws so tightly that everyone wondered if he was going to crack his teeth or grind them to bits. He stared at Ranma for few long minutes before steadily, yet deadly, asking, "You…and… Kuno… as men?"

"Yes," Ranma replied coolly and evenly. "I love him."

Akane stared with tears spilling down her face.

Tendo turned his head away. "You are no longer welcomed here. You are dead to me."

Ranma pushed himself up from the table and turned to Kasumi and Nabiki, bowing. He then turned to Akane. "Akane…" He found that he couldn't find words to say to her. He wasn't sorry for his choices. Then he found what he needed to say, "I wish you happiness. You deserved better than me." He bowed and calmly left.

Akane gasped softly, feeling as if a new hole was punched in her chest. She stared at her father. This time, she was so angry and hurt by her father. "Father, how could you?" She stood up and ran to her room, crying.

Nabiki sighed and sarcastically said, "Way to go, Dad. The understatement of the century." She got up and left.

Kasumi stood up and brushed her skirt. "Akane was beginning to come around and accept the termination of the engagement because Ranma was right, he did die. Nabiki and I had talked with Ranma and understood that if even he and Akane had gotten together afterward, they would never be happy together. Ranma has suffered enough that no one can understand his pain and horror he had experienced except for Kuno Tatewaki. They had a beautiful daughter and named her Nabiki." She then retreated into the kitchen.

Soun deflated.

* * *

Note:

There was a tiny scene that I kept from original Bliss because I liked it, where Nabiki-chan spoke her first word.

Getting closer to the end. Part four and an Epilogue. I am actually enjoying this and there were several times where I felt the intensity of the emotion Ranma or Kuno felt. I tried to convey that in words.

The next part would be more of M rating in some parts.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Finding Bliss**

Part 4

Ranma hopped on his foot, pulling the shoe off the other foot and placed it down. He exhaled. He had finished several martial art lessons at the Jakiang School of Martial Arts. He had taken up a part-time job now Nabiki was older. Kuno had started to go to cram school, determined to get his high school diploma so he would start working soon. It wasn't possible for him to go back to school fully. The school understood his predicament and agreed that he might sit in the exam to receive his degree.

He patted through the house, glancing in each room, searching for Kuno. He found him in the office, studying. "Hey, I'm home." He went over to Kuno's side and kissed his cheek. He grunted as Kuno grabbed him by the waist and pulled him down in his lap, giving him a proper kiss in return.

"Ah," Ranma said as he broke free from Kuno. "Miss me that much?" He teased.

Kuno smirked. "It's been real quiet in the house today with you at the dojo and Nabiki over at the Tendo."

Ranma turned and straddled Kuno, resting his forehead on the older man's head. "You needed time to study. So, when is the exam?"

"In a couple of weeks." Kuno rested his arms around Ranma's waist. "I don't know if I will pass."

Ranma scoffed. "Kuno, you were sempai when we were in school. You had good grades and did have the smarts when you were not sprouting off those nonsenses."

Kuno looked affronted. "They were from classic poetry and stories. Shakespeare, Tennyson, you name it."

"See my point?" Ranma deadpanned. He laughed as Kuno whipped out the infamous red rose out of nowhere. "Oh, come on! That's so corny."

Kuno brought the steam of the flower to his lips and bit on it. He leaned in and kissed Ranma, putting the rose right into his mouth. "But you find it amusing."

Ranma pulled back, rolling his eyes as he took the rose out of his mouth. "I am going to wash up before dinner. Are we going to order in?"

"It would be a good idea. I got a little more to study. Nabiki should be home…" Kuno glanced around Ranma to look at the clock on his desk. "Couple of hours."

"Sound good. Let's order from Yakisoba place. They got some good Korean BBQ too."

"All right, go on and wash up." Kuno shifted, allowing Ranma slipped off his lap and walked out of the office. He went back to studying.

The door opened, and Kuno looked at the clock to see it had only been ten minutes since Ranma had left.

"There's no hot water," Ranma said as she walked into Kuno's office with a scowl on her face. She crossed her arms, unaware she had pushed her ample breasts upward. And they were naked.

Kuno looked up from his paper, and his eyes widened, seeing her standing there only in boxers and towel draped around her neck. "You usually do that?" He gestured to her. He swallowed, feeling his pants tightened. The young Kuno from high school inside him was jumping with joy.

Ranma glanced down. "Eeeps. I need to stop doing that, just walking around and not thinking about covering up." She looked up to see Kuno appearing strained.

"No hot water, you say?" Kuno asked. "Might be the boiler, I should check." He shifted his pants before standing up. It did not go unnoticed by Ranma.

She saw the tent in his trouser and smirked. "Nabiki's still with Kasumi for another couple of hours… maybe we should have a detour to the bedroom on the way to the basement?"

Kuno saw the vixen grin on Ranma's face and watched as she slid the towel off and pushed her boxer shorts down over her curvaceous hips to drop to the floor. "Forget the bedroom." He grabbed her and pushed her down on his desk. "I'll have you right here." He fumbled with his pants while Ranma laughed.

"Come here, you." She said as she pulled him down and kissed him hard.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Ranma asked as he entered the living room with a bowl of cereal and eating. Kuno was sitting with Nabiki at the table, but writing on some forms while Nabiki ate her breakfast.

Nabiki squealed and cried, "Mommy!"

"Nabiki-chan." Ranma moved to sit beside his daughter, noting that she had finished her breakfast and was messy. He put the bowl down and started to clean her up. "Kuno… what are you doing? Nabiki's long finished with her breakfast."

Kuno looked up. "I'm filling out this form for her school."

"What?" Ranma asked as he let Nabiki down on the mat to play with her toys. "She's barely two, and you're already planning her school? We don't need to worry about that for a while."

Kuno shook his head. "This school, it's a private school, and you need to register her in early as possible. The earliest, the better chance. The best chance would be at three-months pregnancy. But in our case, we've wasted so much time."

Ranma stared blankly at Kuno. "What school is this and when did we discuss her schooling?"

Kuno placed his pen down. "I went to this school when I was young. It's the best, and I want the best for Nabiki. I had it all down when I was younger, my future planned out."

Ranma felt as if he was jabbed and sighed and leaned on his fist. "And yet, you ended up in a public high school. What's up with that?"

"My father was the principal. Furinkan High School, as you knew it, had the best kendo team in Nermia."

Rolling his eyes, Ranma glanced to Nabiki. "She will do fine in a public school. Private school is a waste."

Kuno frowned. "Nabiki will go to this school, that's final."

"No." Ranma shot back quietly. He turned to Kuno and glared. "You said it yourself; we've wasted enough time to enroll her. We were on a fucking island! We didn't even plan for her!"

Nabiki blinked, staring at her mother, surprised by the outburst. "Mommy?"

Ranma closed his eyes and sighed. "I am sorry, Nabiki." He turned to her and tickled her, causing her to squeal and giggle, forgetting about the outburst and went back to playing.

He turned back to Kuno. "I am sorry that we couldn't plan her future out the minute we found out I was pregnant." His voice dripped with sarcasm. He got up and took the bowl of cereal. "I'm sorry that your future didn't turn out as you planned. Maybe you would be better off without me being here." He left the living room, leaving with the last statement, "I'm not the wife you wanted."

Kuno glanced down to the form on the table. He grasped the paper and clenched his hand into a fist, the paper crinkled into a ball. Ranma was right; it was pointless. It didn't matter where Nabiki went to school; her education would be the same. You can't plan your future and expect it to go the way you wanted it.

He looked over to his daughter, who was rolling on her back, playing with a ball. A small smile formed on his lips, he loved Nabiki-chan so much that he would give anything up in the world for her. She was his everything. So was Ranma.

He picked her up and carried her to his room and placed her down in the box beside his bed. He gave her a bottle and watched her as she drank and fell asleep. He then got up and searched for Ranma.

He found Ranma in the dojo, going through katas. He waited as Ranma finished the set and stepped into the dojo. Ranma had turned to him with a blank face.

Kuno could see that Ranma was angry with him. It was beneath the surface. As well hurt too. He stopped before the shorter man and stood there. "I am sorry." Ranma crossed his arms, glaring at him. "I should've talked to you about Nabiki's future, included you."

Ranma shook his head. "That wasn't the issue. You made it sound like you regret being with me."

Kuno's eyes widened, and he grasped the unresisting Ranma, pulling him into a hug. He buried his nose in his hair. "No. No, I did not mean to make you feel that way. You were right; I can't always expect the future to turn out the way I want it. I've learned that the best things come unexpectedly. You and Nabiki are everything to me."

Ranma lifted his arms and returned the hug, burrowing into the strong arms, finding comfort. "I understand. I just… it's everything."

"I know. Ranma…" Kuno pushed him away slightly to see his face. "You're unsure about us."

Ranma looked up to Kuno. He couldn't deny that. Indeed, he was still struggling to understand his role in the relationship.

Kuno understood. It was fairly easy for him to accept the reality of his sexuality, all he had to do was to look in his own heart and see the truth. Of everyone, he had gotten what he wanted; he got the "pigtailed girl" in the end. But Ranma? With the demand of becoming a man and traditional honor deeply integrated into him since at young age and being forced to do what the people around him say he should do, he was confused. Switching genders with a splash of water didn't help any.

"I'll wait for you, for as long it takes," Kuno said, kissing his forehead and leaving Ranma to himself in the dojo.

Ranma fell to his knees, shaking. The table has turned. Now he was at fault, hurting Kuno. He bowed over, placing his head on his knees, hugging them with his arms tightly. He fought the racking shakes that ran through his body. A dry sob choked him.

He remained there for a long time.

Kuno came back much later. The sun had long gone down, and Nabiki had been put to bed. He found Ranma sitting cross-legged in the middle of the dojo.

He went to Ranma and knelt beside him. He reached out, touching Ranma's shoulder and he jerked. "Ranma?" Ranma turned to Kuno, the depth of sadness was in his eyes, making him recoil. "Oh, Ranma."

"I…" Ranma started, his voice cracked, and he couldn't find words.

"You are lost." Kuno supplied. "You were right earlier, about Nabiki's school. It didn't matter. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

Ranma bowed his head. "I shouldn't be feeling confused anymore. I know who I am, I know what my feelings are. But, there are times I doubt myself."

Kuno grasped Ranma around the shoulder, pulling him close. "I feel the same way too sometimes. All I have to do is to look at you and Nabiki, and I find myself again, my reasons to live."

Ranma looked up to Kuno. "Why is it that you keep understanding me? Knowing exactly what to say?"

Kuno gave a wry laugh. "That's because I love you and we've gone through enough shit to kill us thousands of times over. No one else would ever have lived what we had gone through. The island gave us a special kind of bliss."

Ranma rested his head on Kuno's shoulder, feeling the tension fade from his body. He grasped Kuno's hand and held it. "Yeah. Coming back to Japan… it's as if we had to find it again."

"We are finding bliss. But we have to go through trials of errors to find it again."

Ranma smiled. "Finding Bliss. Yeah."

* * *

"Where are we now?"

Ranma looked up in surprise. He never thought he would hear the voice ever again. He saw Ryoga standing at the entrance of the restaurant they were in. He wasn't alone, Akari was with him. Oh, that's right... they married a while back.

"Silly, Ryoga, we're here to eat lunch before we head back home. Come on, let's find a table." Akari tugged onto Ryoga's arm, leading him toward a table.

Then, Ryoga saw Ranma. He paled for a moment, speechless before he asked, "Ranma?"

Ranma stood up and approached the Lost Boy. "Ryoga, Akari." He bowed in greeting. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise. I heard you were alive..." Ryoga started, and they went to Ranma's table and sat down. A waitress came by and gave them cups with tea, leaving the menu.

Akari smiled. "I am happy to see you looking well. What happened?"

Ranma shrugged. "It's a long story; I'd rather not get into it."

Ryoga nodded. "The news said you and someone were on an island for two years. Without memories?" Ranma nodded. "And they found you and the other person driving on a raft, nearly dead."

Akari tapped her cheek, "I remember there was a mention of a baby?"

Smirking, "Yes. My baby."

Ryoga frowned. "With who? What about Akane?"

"No. When I say my baby, as in, I got pregnant and gave birth to her. It's a girl."

Ryoga sat there in silence, allowing it to sink. Akari gave the waitress their orders.

"I see." Ryoga finally said after a few minutes. "Well, I am glad you look good."

Ranma stared at his old friend. He could see the weariness in his eyes, the harsh line of hard life in his face. He had several visible scars and recalled how Ryoga walked with slight limp. "I am sorry." He swallowed and clenched his hands on the table. "There has not been a day that went by that I wished it didn't happen. The whole..." he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Ryoga reached out and grasped Ranma's tightened fist, patting in comfort. "I know. It's in the past."

Ranma shook his head and sighed, withdrawing from the table to lean back on the chair. "It might be in the past, but I still relive it when I close my eyes. If it weren't for Akane when I regained my memories, I would have succeeded in killing my self. If it weren't for Tate and Nabiki, I would not have been able to live with myself either."

"Tate?" Ryoga asked, unfamiliar with the name. "And Nabiki? What about Akane?"

Ranma realized his mistake and laughed. "Ah, Tate as in Tatewaki Kuno. Nabiki is our daughter."

Ryoga frowned, it didn't take him very long to make the connection. "You're saying, you and Kuno?" He saw Ranma nod. "Even now?" Another nod. "You insult Akane." He jumped up, gripping Ranma at the collar. Akari gasped and grasped Ryoga's arm, pleading him to calm down. "How dare you? That's an abomination!"

Ranma stared back at Ryoga impassively. He remained calm and replied evenly, "It is no one's business with who I am with. Kuno and I survived on the island with no memories of who we were. I was a girl the entire time. What we did was natural. Our feelings..." he felt his collar being let go and straightened the wrinkle out.

Ryoga sat back down, glaring at his oldest friend.

Ranma shook his head. "Ryoga. I am happy you are doing good. I heard about you and Akari, congratulation to both of you." He stood up and bowed, turning to leave.

Deflated, Ryoga called out, "Ranma, please. Sit." He gestured to the chair. Ranma turned back and sat down. "You're right; it's not my business to who you are with now. It's just strange, our whole life, you were always trying to be the better man. I see it now; you are the better man now."

Ranma nodded. "Thanks." He glanced up and waved to Kuno who had entered with Nabiki on his hip. They came over and sat down next to Ranma.

Ryoga stared at Kuno, remembering the man from their past. He could see the same change he saw in Ranma in Kuno as well. He had sensed it and knew they were not the same people he once knew. His eyes shifted to the little girl on his lap, smiling and waving at Ranma, asking for her mother.

Ranma took the girl and nuzzled the girl, causing her to squeal with laughter. Ryoga watched wistfully as Ranma interacted with his daughter. It was a sight to see.

"She's beautiful," Ryoga said softly.

"Thanks."

"Kuno." Ryoga turned to the older man.

"Hibiki. It's good to see you again. Congrats, you and Akari." Kuno nodded to the woman beside Ryoga.

The waitress came back with a couple of bowls for Ryoga and Akari. Ranma ordered two more and a small child-sized bowl of applesauce for Nabiki.

Ranma turned back to Ryoga. "As for Akane... I ended things with her when I came back. We all no longer who we were. It would not have worked out. I saved her and myself grief. I haven't seen her since I left. She was angry with me."

Ryoga scoffed. "I can see why." He laid the soup ladle down and shook his head. "But yeah, I can understand what you mean. I also loved Akane too, but it would not have worked for us either." He turned to Akari and grasped her hand in affection. "Akari is a better woman for me."

"Yeah." Ranma grinned, he started to feed Nabiki the applesauce, careful not to let her make a mess. "Any prospect of having kids yourselves?"

Akari blushed. "That's why we came to town. We just finished our appointment with Dr. Tofu." She glanced to Ryoga and saw him nod. "We're expecting twins by the end of the year!"

Ranma's eyes widened. "Twins! Oh wow! Congratulation!"

Kuno smiled, "Double the fun. Congratulations."

Ryoga blushed, "Thanks. It was surprising. But we're excited. I hope neither of our children will have my sense of direction. That would be bad."

Ranma laughed. "I don't think so. You'll be a good father."

Ryoga stilled his eating, gazing at Ranma as he gave Nabiki attention, cleaning her before handing her back to Kuno who had a bottle of milk from the bag he had with him. Together, they moved in harmony, adjusting Nabiki to lie comfortably in Kuno's arm and drank from her bottle. Ranma brushed her curly black hair before settling back in his chair, but not without brushing an affectionate touch across Kuno's arm.

Ryoga saw it all. He saw the fleeting look of affection in Ranma's eyes and a gentle one in Kuno's. They looked at ease with each other as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He smiled to himself and started to eat again.

"How old is she?" Akari asked, watching the child in Kuno's arms falling asleep.

Kuno replied, "She'll turn two in few weeks."

Akari cooed, "Adorable! You two make a beautiful baby. I know it is strange to ask, but are you going to have another one?"

Ranma and Kuno glanced at each other. It was something that was on their mind but had not discussed it. Kuno, on his part, did not want to put Ranma through that again. It had been difficult on the island. At the time, they had to accept and live with it. But now, they had the leisure to plan and consider it, but it was Ranma that has to make a choice.

Ranma glanced at Nabiki. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet. She was... an accident. We weren't thinking then."

Ryoga asked, "You consented?"

Ranma gave him a deadpan look. Ryoga held up his hands in surrender. "No memories, remember?" He smirked. "Yeah, everything we did was in our full consent. As for Nabiki having a sibling, maybe. We'd have to think about that."

Akari smiled. "I understand. If you do, I am sure he or she will be beautiful as Nabiki-Chan."

"Why Nabiki?"

Kuno laughed, careful to not wake the sleeping baby in his arms. "It was the only name that came to my mind at the time. We had nothing to go on for names." He glanced at Ranma and shrugged. "We decided to keep it as it is when we remembered."

Ranma buried his face in his palm. "Nabiki-Chan's first word was 'yen.' It was Auntie Nabiki's fault."

Akari and Ryoga laughed.

They are the rest of their lunch and caught each other up in the rest of their news.

Just before they parted in the street, Ryoga tugged onto Ranma's arm. "Call Akane. Settle things for both of your sakes."

Ranma blinked before he nodded. "You're right. I should. Thanks!"

Ryoga smiled as he watched Ranma and Kuno walk away.

* * *

Ranma stared at the phone in his hand. He was nervous.

It was not that often he would find himself nervous. He laughed to himself, back when he was young, he ran into things headfirst without thinking.

That wasn't the case anymore. They grew up, and now, things are always carefully thought out.

But this is something he hasn't thought it out. He has no idea what would come out of it. It had not ended well that night when he ended it with Akane. He had not wanted to lose her, at least as a friend. It had hurt that she reacted that way. The whole meeting at the Tendo also had ended in a fiasco. He still didn't have a good ending with Akane then either.

He punched the number and held the phone to his ear, waiting.

*Tendo Akane here.*

"Akane. It's me."

*Oh.* The reply was sullen.

"I'd like to talk with you."

*I don't need to talk to you. You made it clear with your choices.*

"Akane, please don't be stubborn," Ranma said, frustrated. "I want us to be friends; we can't just let things off like that and live the rest of our lives with the negativity."

There was a silence over the phone. Ranma could hear her breathing softly. Then finally, *Alright, talk.*

Ranma found himself at a loss for words, "Uh. Maybe we should meet up and talk face to face?"

*Fine. Let's meet at the fountain in town tomorrow.*

"Thank you, Akane."

*Yeah, goodbye.* Then the phone went dead. Ranma dropped his head and placed the receiver back down.

Kuno slid up behind him and wrapped his arms around Ranma's waist, resting his head on the shorter man's shoulder. "Not good?"

"I don't know. We agree to meet tomorrow." Ranma said as he turned in Kuno's arms, returning the hug. "I couldn't find words to start."

"Maybe you will tomorrow."

"Yeah."

The next day, Ranma went to the fountain in the park. He recalled the crazy time when he tried to expose Ryoga to Akane that he was P-Chan. There were many other times. He could see the scar that he and his friends had done to the fountain.

Akane was sitting on the edge, looking into the water. She looked different, in jeans and simple but classy sweater. She looked grown up and beautiful. But he didn't feel anything beyond friendly love for her.

Ranma approached her, "Hey."

Akane turned and stood up, replying. "Hey."

Ranma gestured to the path through the park. "Wanna walk?" She nodded, and they started to walk together.

"I saw Ryoga the other day." Ranma started. "He looked good, happy with Akari."

"Yeah. Akari is good to him." Akane replied.

"He told me to talk to you."

"Oh."

Ranma watched Akane from the corner of his eyes as they walked together. He could see emotions going through her eyes. "Akane…"

She sighed and stopped, turning to him. "Ranma. I had time to think about it. I… I loved you for a long time. I am not sure when I started to fall in love with you… it might have started when you went into Neko-ken for the first time and kissed me then. I know we weren't exactly the best fiancees to each other, but I did love you, cared for you deeply." She sniffled.

Ranma bowed his head. "I did love you too, even though we were always fighting." He looked up. "But if you put this in consideration, we never had time to be ourselves, never got the chance to develop our feeling further. By the time we went on that… stupid trip…" Ranma looked away. He couldn't bring himself to talk about the incident. "What I felt for you barely scratched the surface. Then I lost it all."

Akane nodded. "And you and Kuno developed something that was stronger." She wrung her hands together. "I admit, I am jealous of him. I wanted what he had from you. It should've been me. It should've been you, and I lost on that island…"

Ranma moved to lean against the fence that lined the sidewalk, separating the path from the lake. He looked to the water. He remembered the time Akane and Ryoga went on a date and how he tried to interfere it. He smirked at the memory. "Remember that time, you and Ryoga went on a date?"

Akane moved to rest her arms on the fence. "Yeah." She smiled at the memory. "Oh goodness, you were terrible. Interfering the date, pretending to be Ryoga's fiancée. You did convince him that you love him."

Ranma laughed. "Yeah. That was stupid of me."

"You were jealous, weren't you?" Akane asked.

He was surprised. "Yeah." His smile faded. "All those times. I've always interfered, and you have too. We were too stupid not to notice it."

Akane turned her head to Ranma. "Do you love Kuno?"

He looked to the sky. "I know it sounds strange. He's my soul."

Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away. "It's hard for me to accept that. Kasumi and Nabiki made sure I understood that even if we did get together when you came back, that we would have been miserable. But I want to hear it from you."

Ranma turned to her and grasped her hand, holding it. He looked into her eyes and said, "Akane… we would have been miserable with each other. You would not be able to help me through my nightmares, my insecurity, and doubts. You never accepted my female side…" He held a finger up as she started to protest. "Akane, you made it clear by calling me a pervert, sexist and all those names. You saw her as a different person. Even you admitted that you were jealous of her and afraid of her. Kuno didn't see that; he saw her and me as the same person."

He let go of her hand and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to hide the shakiness that suddenly took over his hands. "Kuno and I, we faced things unimaginable on that island. We fought for our very own lives and to survive. He was all I had for a long time. We were ready to die on that raft the day we were found. We ran out of water and food."

Akane swallowed. "You're right; I would not have understood or been able to help you through that." She wrapped her arms around Ranma's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "I still can't get past that Kuno has changed. He has been a thorn in my side for a long time. I just can't see him beyond the stupid 'Blue Thunder of Furinkan High.'" They laughed together.

"The Blue Thunder do appear from time to time, but he's not so insufferable as he was. He grew up. He is… not the same man."

Akane looked up at him and asked, "Tell me about him."

Ranma smiled, and they started to walk again. "Tate is a great dad; he adores Nabiki-chan. He is good to me…"

Together they walked through the park, Ranma telling Akane of Kuno and Akane talked about what she had been up to in the past few years.

* * *

Note:

I thought the story will end with an epilogue in the next chapter, but I was wrong. It will be few more chapters.

I am a bit muddled with the age of Nabiki so I am just guessing her age here. But one thing for sure, she's a toddler now.

Thank you for reading! More to come soon!


	5. Chapter 5

Warning: Yaoi lemon

 **Finding Bliss**

Part 5

Ranma hurried through the street of Tokyo. Kuno was stuck dealing with the accountant in Nerima about the Kuno property and needed to have a vital paper delivered to the lawyer the same day. It turned out Kuno's father had died few months before Kuno and Ranma were rescued. Kodachi wanted nothing to do with the legal stuff, being in America. It was left to Kuno to take care of the property and transferring everything into his name.

Ranma glanced at his watch, he had delivered the paperwork to the lawyer and now was heading back to the train station. His train wasn't going to leave for another couple of hours.

His hurried pace slowed, and he started to walk at a leisurely pace, glancing into the window of the shops along his path to the station.

His eyebrow rose as he passed an adult store. Recalling the night he and Kuno accidentally come across the porn came to mind, and he chuckled. It had been a while, and they had not said any more on the topic. He was surprised Kuno even considered trying it. They weren't ready to go past jacking each other off and giving each other head. You could say, they were very vanilla when it comes to sex. As soon he passed the store, he paused and turned around to go back.

He stepped into the store and blushed as he glanced around. So many things for sex-play on display. He eyed the dildos on the shelf dubiously. Who would the heck want a horse-shaped shaft? He shuddered at the size and inched slowly into the store. He had no idea what to look for and where to begin.

"Hello!" Ranma nearly jumped as a man with bright teal colored hair approached him. He had several piercings on his face and bright purple lips. He was dressed in gothic style combined with a fairy kei colors. He was certainly a character.

"Uh?" Ranma stammered.

"I'm Kim; I work here. Saw you come in looking lost. How can I help you?" Ranma blushed and shook his head. "Oh, this is your first time in the store? Hold on." He hurried over to the door and flipped the sign to close the store and locked it. "There. Now you can shop around without feeling embarrassed by other people. It's a policy of our to ensure the comfort of our customers. Now, what are you looking for or would you rather look around?"

Ranma shrugged. "Uh, thanks. I guess. I had some time to spare before my train comes..."

He looked around the store. "I honestly don't know why I walked in here."

"That's all right." Kim waved his hand in an effeminate way and sauntered over to the shelf with dildos. "Usually the first timers would buy a dildo or a vibrator. Maybe that'll be a place to start, for your girlfriend?"

Ranma shook his head. "Uh no. I don't think we need that, between the both of us, two is enough."

Kim's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't take you for having a male lover. You the seme, then?"

Ranma frowned. "Huh?"

"The top, the man... you look it."

Ranma blushed. "It's complicated. We're equal, I guess."

"Oh, reversible. That's great!" Kim moved to the handcuffs and whips. "Those are for fun role-playing, into that?"

Ranma shook his head. "Truth to be told, we haven't gone far. We are taking it slow with our," he waved his hand and let it drop there. "We just don't know what to do."

Kim moved to Ranma's side and leaned against the shelf beside them. "You're both new to the gay side?"

Ranma nodded. His face felt hot.

"I see. Alright, uhm..." Kim pranced around the store, gathering few things and brought them to the counter. Ranma approached curiously.

"Everyone got to start somewhere, and it's best to play it safe to ensure maximum pleasure. It's not the same as male-female style, where you could go for it. Man-a-Mano requires some pre-care." Kim held up a box with three cones shaped glass with a flared bottom in different sizes. "Anal Plugs. Small, medium, and large. They are used for pleasure as well with women if they are into it too. But before having anal sex, it's best to get your hole used to the size, starting with the small one. Once you're comfortable, you can move up to the next size. " he placed the box down and picked up a bottle which Ranma recognized as lube. "Lube is essentially important. The ass does not lube itself like a woman's pussy. Use this generously, and it won't be painful."

Ranma nodded. He gestured to a box. "What's that?"

"Enema. To clean your colon out. You don't want to stick your stick up his butt if it weren't cleaned beforehand. It would be messy and gross."

Ranma's eyes widened. "Oh, makes sense."

"That's right. Don't eat anything that would make a mess before you do it. Go to the bathroom to clear your bowel out, and then you do this... fill it with warm water and squeeze it up the bum, repeat and rinse until it's clear. It doesn't have to be done, but it put your mind to ease." Kim turned around and scanned the bookshelf behind the counter and pulled out a small book. "Here."

Ranma took it and glanced down at the plain looking book, titled 'First Adventure in the Backwood: The Guide to Anal Sex.' "Uh..." he flipped through the book and found it to be a basic instruction manual. He nodded. "I guess those would do... all this." He gestured to the things on the table and placed the book down.

"You want me to ring it up?" Kim asked.

Ranma nodded, taking out the wallet. Kuno had given him more cash than he needed and had not used much of it. The cost won't matter.

"Maybe you'll want to consider condom too."

Kim said. "It gets messy, and until you're comfortable with going at it raw, condom reduce the clean-up... and prevent STI if you don't know if your partner is clean."

Ranma nodded and glanced at the condom display. He picked the one he was familiar with and tossed it along with the things he was getting. He had been with Kuno for nearly three years, and he knew the STI was the least of his worries. They often use a condom when he was in his female form, not wanting to produce a sibling for Nabiki just yet. "Thanks. Appreciate it."

"Anything for the pleasure. 13,000 yen."

Ranma pulled out enough yen and handed it to Kim. He watched as Kim placed the items into a black bag and closed it. Ranma took his change and the bag.

Kim walked Ranma to the door and unlocked it. "Good luck! One more advice, take it slowly and relax."

"Right, thanks!" Ranma waved and glanced at his watch and yelped, if he didn't hurry, he would miss his train.

Kim shook his head and flipped the sign to declare the store open for business. "Handsome, and they are so cute when nervous." He chuckled and went back to the counter.

* * *

Ranma gasped softly as Kuno grasped his hardness through his pants. He bit the other man's lower lip and tugged him closer, kissing him fiercely.

Kuno rolled Ranma onto his back on the couch and hurriedly unbuttoned the jeans to free the straining manhood. He rubbed his lover, bringing him closer to his height then slowed down, teasing. He grinned as Ranma nibbled his neck slightly hard with frustration and felt his hips jerk upward into his hand.

"Ah, do you want it?" He murmured into the smaller man's ear, his voice low and husky.

Ranma groaned and pulled back to stare balefully into Kuno's eyes. "Stop teasing me!" He grasped the other man and pulled him closer, their hips rubbing together, trapping Kuno's hand around Ranma's shaft. "Give it to me already... with this." He ran his finger along Kuno's lips.

Kuno chuckled, "Beg."

Ranma glowered as he narrowed his eyes. "Beg?" He grinned and reached down to grasp Kuno's bare butt-cheeks and pulled him harder, making the other man groan.

They had been lounging in the living room together after putting Nabiki down for bed. As soon Kuno got up to get something to drink, Ranma playfully tripped the taller man, causing him to stumble down on the couch. It prompted them to start wrestling, and it leads into heated foreplay, kissing and groping. Kuno ended up having his pants down around his knees, and Ranma lost his shirt somewhere.

"You know I'm never begging," Ranma replied with a smirk, grounding his hips into Kuno.

Kuno lowered his head, kissing the other man as he relented and furiously rubbed his hand on his lover's shaft.

Ranma rolled his head back, "Yeah, that's good... almost... not yet..." he pushed Kuno's head down, silently requesting what he wanted from his Sempai.

Kuno grinned and lowered his head to give Ranma what he wanted.

"Darling brother! I am home!"

They froze at the high pitched voice that sent shivers down their spines. Kuno realized Ranma's penis had shriveled so fast in his hand, losing the mood. He knew his own was doing the same. He clenched his jaws and stood up, righting his clothes.

"Perfect timing, dear sister." He muttered darkly.

Ranma stared up at Kuno, aghast as he hurried to fix his pants and pulled his shirt on. "The fuck Kodachi doing here?"

Kuno sighed, "She's early."

"Ya think?" Ranma deadpanned and fixed his jean button. He heard the shoji door slide open behind him and grimaced.

"Tacchi-chan? Oh! Here you are!" Kodachi bounced across the room and grasped her older brother in a tight hug.

Ranma made a face behind Kodachi and mouthed 'Tacchi-chan?'

Kuno rolled his eyes and gave him a look to shut up.

"It's been so long! We really thought you were dead. Imagine my surprise when you turned up alive!" Kodachi leaned back to take a good look at her brother. "You have grown up! So handsome and that tan! I am envious!" She saw the scowl on his face and laughed, "Ho-ho-ho! You looked as if I stepped on your fun."

Kuno pushed his sister away gently and replied, "Believe me, you did. Uh, you are early."

Kodachi waved her hand and smiled. "I figured I'd come early and get this over with and go back before Monday. I don't want to miss my precious time studying."

Kuno rolled his head in a nod and shrugged. "Very well."

"Ah, who were you with? A girlfriend?" She asked as she turned.

Ranma stood there with a mocking smile on his face and waved as she finally noticed him. "Hey there, long time no see."

Kodachi's eyes widened as she stared. She stammered before finally whispering, "Ranma?"

As Ranma expected, she latched onto him and cried dramatically. He grimaced and looked over to Kuno for help.

Kuno had his head in his hand. "Kodachi, please unhand him. You're unbecoming."

"Oh! I mourned for you when I found out you have died! Oh, my love, you have come back to me!"

Kuno winced and grabbed his sister, prying her off him. "Kodachi. I hate to say this; he's mine."

Kodachi stopped her dramatic crying and turned slowly to her brother. "What_did_you_say?"

Kuno let go of his sister and moved to stand next to Ranma, wrapping his arm around his waist. "I said, he's mine."

Ranma nodded. "Yeah."

Then a cry filled the air, and Ranma muttered a curse and stalked out of the room.

Kodachi turned to see Ranma flee. She pointed to the air, "Was that a baby?"

Kuno crossed his arms; it was not a secret that the siblings despited each other. They had mutual respect for one another and occasionally shared same goals. However, he found the irony that he had the upper hands over his sister when it came to Ranma.

"I thought you were married," Kuno said, about her glomping Ranma.

Kodachi rolled her eyes. "I am. But I can't help it; it's Ranma. My husband does not have to know. Stop avoiding my question, was that a baby I heard?"

"Yes," Ranma replied as he returned with Nabiki on his hip. She has tear tracks down her face, and her eyes were wide as if she had woken with terror.

Kodachi turned and cooed at the adorable baby. "Oooh! What a beautiful baby! You're so cute that I could eat you!" Kodachi approached to pinch Nabiki's chubby cheek.

Nabiki stared at Kodachi with horror then screamed. Ranma sidestepped and gripped Nabiki tighter, astounded that even his daughter was terrified of Kodachi. He had never seen her do that, not even in the face of the island wild dogs.

Kuno rushed to Ranma's side, thinking Nabiki had gotten hurt. He turned to Kodachi, "Maybe it's best you keep your distance for now. Your appearance had frightened her."

Kodachi looked off-putting and crossed her arms, careful to push her ample bosom up to show more cleavage. "All right. Who's child is she?"

"Ours," Kuno replied.

Kodachi rolled her eyes, "I mean, which one of you knocked up a woman?"

Ranma glanced at Kuno, giving him a look. He rubbed Nabiki's back as she hiccuped into his chest, suckling her fist.

Kuno gave a questioning glance in reply, and Ranma shrugged as if saying 'Might as well try.'

"Come with us," Kuno said as he turned and led them into the family room and gestured to the cushions around the table. He took Nabiki from Ranma and sat down, arranging her to lie in his lap to doze off.

Kodachi watched as her brother devoted his attention to the child and realized he was a good father, unlike their own. She could see the adoration and love in his eyes for the baby.

"What's her name?" She asked softly.

Kuno looked up in surprise to find his sister being serious for once, with a gentle tone. He replied with a smile, "Nabiki."

Then it was gone as she laughed. "Oh? You knocked Nabiki up and named her daughter after her?"

Kuno sighed and turned back to Nabiki, stroking her hair, pulling her back to sleep after being startled by her aunt's laugh. "No. We will explain in a minute."

Ranma returned with a kettle and a glass. He sat down across from Kodachi at the table.

"Kodachi, pay attention," Ranma said sternly and dumped the cold water onto his head.

Kodachi watched as Ranma transformed and her eyes went wide as she recognized the pigtailed girl that her brother had chased in the past. "What? Impossible!"

Kuno leaned his head on his fist and deadpanned, "Magic, isn't it?"

Kodachi scowled him. "Explain!"

Ranma poured hot water over his head and transformed back into a male. "Pigtailed girl and I have always been the same person. Back when I was fifteen, I fell in a cursed spring in China, and when hit with cold water, I change into a female and revert with hot water. Does it make sense to you now?"

Kodachi's wheels turned in her head as she thought back to the past. She recalled many times when Ranma had disappeared, and the girl appeared. And vice versa. She carefully paid attention to her memories' details and realized there was always water involved. She held a hand to her mouth as the reality set in. She and her brother had chased after the same person!

"So, which form is the real one and which is cursed?"

Ranma nodded, "I'm really a male, it's the female one that's cursed. I fell in spring of drowned girl. Remember Ryoga, Shampoo, and Mousse?" Kodachi nodded. "Ryoga is a pic, Shampoo a cat and Mousse was a duck. My father becomes a panda."

Kodachi recalled the animals, and it made sense now. She connected the dots and glanced at the baby, "So, you're the mother, and you are the father?"

Kuno nodded. "Yes."

She looked from her brother to Ranma and then back for several times. They both watched her expectantly. Then finally, she waved her hand in front of her face and shrugged. "Oh. Whatever. So, dear brother, about the papers I need to sign?"

Kuno eyed his sister dubiously. He knew her tactics. It may have been over two years he saw her last, but she doesn't appear to give up her bad habits. He handed the sleeping baby to Ranma. "Go on to bed. I'm going to take her to the office and then to the guest room."

Ranma took the baby and stood up with them. Kuno leaned over and kissed his cheek before leading Kodachi to his office.

"So, you and Ranma, huh?" She asked quietly as Kuno rifled through the file on his desk.

He nodded as he pulled the paper he needed his sister to sign. "Yes. We lost our memories on the island and had no idea who we were. Ranma was in female form at the time, and there was no hot water. Nature took its course, and we had Nabiki and survived the island." He stood straighter again, handing a pen to Kodachi. "When we remembered after being found, we decided to continue because our feelings for one another was still there."

Kodachi rifled through the papers, signing her name. "I can't imagine the horror you went through, finding out that you had fucked a man."

Kuno glared at his sister. "That was the least of it. I was more horrified by who I was than anything else."

Kodachi looked up to him. "Oh. So you guys are still fucking?"

He scowled. "That isn't your business. Now, are you done with the papers?" She handed him the papers and the pen. "Good. I'll give this to our lawyer first thing on Monday, and you should expect your part of the inheritance shortly. I have to apologize; I had turned your room into a guest room."

Kodachi shrugged. "I know the way. Good night, dear brother." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "You have grown up. I am glad you're not like Father with Nabiki-chan."

"Thank you." He said and watched her saunter out of the office. He shook his head and cleaned up before heading to bed.

Ranma felt his subconscious slip into waking phase as he sensed something off. He blinked and turned his head to check on Nabiki in her box and saw her sleeping deeply. He rubbed his head, wondering what time it was since it was still dark out.

Then he felt it, the slithering up his bare legs, inching toward his groin. He looked down in horror to find a large lump between his legs under the sheet and ripped it away to find Kodachi looking up at him with a lascivious grin.

"What.." He asked and yelped as she groped him through his boxer shorts and leaped out of bed, horrified. He shuddered at the feel on his legs and his groin lingering. She laid out on his bed, naked and grinned at him.

"Ranma…"

Ranma had enough of the woman and demanded, "Get the fuck out of my bed and out of my room!"

"Oh Ranma, you surely don't mean it." She sat up and posed seductively, waving her finger for him to come to her. "Surely, you miss a woman's body the way the man wants it?" She ran her hand down her ample breast and down to her hip and leg. She moaned.

Ranma shuddered and felt his groin shrink even further. He wonders if it kept shrinking, he might revert into his girl form out of defense without cold water. "Just get out of here."

The shoji door slid open, and Kuno stepped into the room with a furious look on his face. Ranma turned to him in horror and tensed up, waiting for the accusation of being a pervert.

Kodachi turned her head to her brother and sighed before she started to wail dramatically, "Oh, brother dear! He tried to take me! He forced me in his bed after he ripped my clothes off!" She grasped the sheet and pulled it up to her chest and starts to sob big fat alligator tears.

Ranma turned to her, shocked and stammered, "What!? No!" He waved his hands and glanced at Kuno frantically. "That's not what happened here!"

Kuno was furious beyond belief as he stood at the end of the futon. His face darkened as he stared at his sister. "Kodachi." They froze at his tone; it was deadly serious. "Get out."

Kodachi pouted, "But…"

"Kodachi." She stopped. She had never heard her brother use such tone with her. "You are finished here; you did what you need to do. You have abused our kindness and generosity, so, I am telling you to get out. You are no longer welcomed here."

She stared at her brother, surprised. "Well," She started and rose from the futon, allowing the sheet drop and walked past her brother. "Goodbye, brother dearest." She left.

Ranma's jaw dropped and turned to Kuno. "You… uh," he pointed to the door where Kodachi had left. "You don't think I'm the pervert here?"

Kuno turned to him and shook his head. "I've known my sister far longer and of her dubious schemes. She would stoop that low to get what she wants. It may have worked with my father, but not me." He stepped over to Ranma and collected the shocked man in his arms and buried his face into the crook of his neck. "Ranma, have a little more faith in me when it comes to things like that. I will always choose you over my own family."

Ranma felt the rush of the event fade as he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Kuno's waist and rested his head on the taller man's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Come on, let's get some sleep. She'll be gone by morning." Kuno said.

Ranma bopped his head as he turned to Nabiki to find her still asleep. "Huh, she didn't even wake up." He picked her up and held her as he followed Kuno into his room and slipped into his bed. Nabiki settled between them, oblivious to the world around her as she was snuggled up by her parents, surrounded by love and security.

* * *

Kasumi steered herself into the main room and settled the tray on the table. She handed the cup to the older woman in formal kimono, "Here you go, Auntie Nodoka."

"Thank you, Kasumi."

Kasumi smiled and sat down. It was a quiet Sunday, and the house was quiet, and she was glad Nodoka decided to visit. It had been very lonely lately. Tofu, her husband, was at the clinic with a client that needed to see him in an emergency. Akane had decided to go to college and had been away from home for most of the time. Nabiki was out with her friends and won't be back.

"How are you and Dr. Tofu doing?" Nodoka asked as she set her cup down after a sip.

The younger woman smiled. "Good." She rubbed her belly; she was only two months along. "We're excited for the baby to come. He is such a worrier."

Nodoka smiled, "Just pray the baby will be healthy." She sighed softly and looked down into her cup. "I thought I would be a grandmother by now. With Ranma and Akane's child."

Kasumi reached out and clasped the older woman's hands. "Auntie? Has Ranma called you?"

Nodoka shook her head. "He called once, last year to let me know that he was back and alive. That he needed time to adjust. That was all. He didn't say more. It's hard to believe that he was alive, two years on some island."

Kasumi nodded. "It had changed him. He is not the same man we know."

"And I had to find out from Soun that he was disowned by this family, is that true?"

Kasumi withdrew her hands. "Not entirely. Father disowned him, but the three of us didn't. Somewhat. We still see him from time to time, when we do run into him. He would drop by and visit…" She didn't mention that she would occasionally babysit the darling Nabiki-chan. It seems that Nodoka had no idea that the sweet child exited. It wasn't fair.

Nodoka looked up, "How is he? Is he… better?" She tried to look for a word but couldn't get any better than that.

"He is doing fine." Kasumi smiled and refilled their cups. "I saw him a couple of weeks ago when he stopped by. I think he is happy and stable now."

"Then, when will I see him again? Why is he avoiding his family?" Nodoka asked, desperately as there was pain evident in her voice. Then she saw Kasumi's eyes shift to the wrapped bundle she had always carried. She understood and stiffened. "I see."

Kasumi stammered, "Uh, um. Auntie, maybe I can ask him to agree to meet with you soon? It's been a little over a year now that he has come back and maybe he's ready."

"I would like that," Nodoka replied.

* * *

Kasumi brushed her skirt down nervously. She had called Ranma and talked to him, and he agreed to come by and sit down with his mother. She told him that his mother deserved to know what his son is up to now and meet with her granddaughter. Surprisingly, Ranma had wholeheartedly agreed.

She had arranged for the meeting to happen when everyone was out of the house. It wasn't hard to do, all she had to tell Nabiki the truth, and she said she was gone. Akane had a camping retreat with the group of girls from college and would be gone for few days. Her husband was in the clinic for the day. She was relieved.

She heard the bell and went to the door, opening to find Ranma and Kuno standing there with Nabiki-chan. She smiled at the sweet girl, having already grown and babbling. The girl waved her hand toward Kasumi, and she laughed, taking the child.

Ranma and Kuno stepped in and took off their shoes. Kuno helped to take Nabiki's shoes off and placed them down between his and Ranma's shoes. It was an adorable sight.

"She has not arrived yet. Go on to the family room." She squeezed Nabiki in an affectionate hug and handed her to Ranma.

Ranma and Kuno went to the family room. The shoji was open to the garden. Nabiki squealed as she saw the pond and the fish making a splash.

"Maybe it would be best if I take Nabiki-chan to the garden while you talk with your mother," Kuno suggested as he kept a watchful eye on Nabiki crawling on the floor. He saw Ranma nod silently from the corner of his eyes. He reached out and grasped his hand. "It'll be all right."

Ranma gave a soft scoff. "If you have known my mother back then, you would be terrified of her."

"I believe you. From what you have told me of her."

"I won't let her get to me anymore. I've come a long way to stop anyone getting to me." Ranma said softly. "I am me, damn it."

Kuno rose and laid a kiss on Ranma's head before swooping their daughter up. "That's right; you're you."

Ranma smiled as he watched Kuno take Nabiki out into the garden and disappear around the corner to where there was a small garden. He could hear his daughter squeal and started to babble.

He heard Kasumi enter with someone else and turned. He stood as he watched his mother enter behind Kasumi. She didn't look different from the last time he saw her, except she had more grey to her hair and few fine wrinkles adorning her noble face. He bowed to his mother and somberly greeted, "Hello, Mother."

She bowed back, "Ranma, my son." She smiled and reached out, collecting her son in a hug. She relished how strong and tall he was. He towered over her easily and had a hard line to his body. She pushed him back gently to look into his face. His face was older, angular, a man. But there was depth to his eyes that she couldn't explain and the hard lines that framed his feature. His hair was cut short, the pigtail he used to sport was gone. At the same time, there was some softness, as if he mellowed. She let go of him and sat down.

She noted he no longer wore his traditional Chinese outfit, but a pair of jeans and shirt with a jacket over it. She noted that he looked healthy and handsome and his skin took on a darker tone than most Japanese people. Perhaps from the time on the island.

Kasumi poured them cups of tea and set one aside for Kuno. Nodoka noticed this and frowned, "Who else is here?" She asked. She had not expected anyone else but Ranma.

Ranma glanced over at the empty cup that was set aside for Kuno. "He'll come later. Right now, we talk first."

Nodoka kept her mouth shut and watched Ranma as he took a sip of the tea. He was careful and graceful. She could not find the familiar brash young man in her son anymore. It was as if it was a different man sitting there. She felt a loss for words. But Ranma saved her and spoke.

"I am sorry for not contacting you since that night I called you. I had a lot of things to sort out."

"I understand," Nodoka replied.

"Two years on the island…" Ranma started as he stares into his cup of tea. He recalled the intense green and blue, the heat and the humidity. It was a colorful nightmare, as well a paradise. He still dreams of the place, him and Kuno. There would be times where they both woke up sweating and panting and then clutching to each other for comfort and stability, returning to reality. There were no words needed to pass between them; they understood each other.

Ranma looked up at his mother as if snapping out of his depth. "It was enough to disconnect you from reality. I had no memories the entire two years on the island. I didn't know who I was."

Nodoka frowned, "How did you manage to survive?"

Ranma glanced at the empty cup. "I wasn't alone. Kuno, Kuno Takewaki was with me." He saw the confusion on his mother's face. "He was a classmate of Nabiki back in high school." He chuckled ruefully, "He chased after Akane and Ranko…" It was strange to refer to his female side's name; it had been so long since he used it.

Nodoka vaguely remembered the handsome young man, a little bit nut in the head. The son of the principal of Furnikan High. "I recall him a bit."

"Yeah. You see, Mom… I was female the entire time on the island. With no memory… there was no hot water there. I thought I was just some girl. Kuno also had same memory loss as I did, he didn't know who he was. We had each other to survive. It was, I guess you could say, a special place of hell in the parasite. The island is gone, it was cursed. It was… I just still can't speak of it."

"It's all right, Ranma. You don't have to tell us the whole story of the island." Kasumi said as she poured tea into Ranma's cup.

"I would like to thank him for helping you to survive on the island," Nodoka said.

Kasumi glanced at Ranma, giving him a look that said 'Your mother doesn't get it yet. Might as well be blunt.' Ranma sighed and drank his tea in one gulp.

"Mom. That's not the entire point. One of the biggest reason that I didn't talk to you for a year was that something happened on the island. I…" He was interrupted by a squeal and a cry.

"Mommy! Lookee!" He turned to see his daughter barrel into him and waving a large hibiscus flower in his face. He grasped her and set her on his lap.

Nodoka stared at the child in shock.

"Mommy!" Nabiki squealed. "Fower!"

Ranma glanced down at her and nodded. "Yes, love. Flower. It's a pretty one." He took the offered flower. "Mom, this is Nabiki-chan, my daughter."

"She's beautiful…" Nodoka started, staring at the child. "Who is her mother?"

Kuno approached them and bowed before sitting down beside Ranma. He gently took Nabiki from Ranma's arms and settled her down. "I am sorry, she got away from me."

"It's alright," Ranma said, not breaking away from his mother. "I am."

"Huh?" Nodoka asked, blinking to look at her son.

Ranma closed his eyes and sighed. "I am Nabiki's mother. Kuno and I had a child together."

Nodoka stiffened and slid her eyes to the man beside Ranma. She vaguely remembered the pompous young man. The man beside Ranma was handsome, taller and broader than Ranma. He had the same tan and the same hard lines to his face. There was also the same unexplainable thing in his eyes. Her eyes shifted to Ranma. She took in the two sitting beside each other as if they were comfortable, their hips touching. Nabiki giggled and babbled about the flower in Kuno's arms, unaware of the world around her. She could see the feature of both men in the girl.

She swallowed and took the bundle that she had with her and unwrapped it. Ranma stared with a hint of horror in his eyes. Kuno stiffened. Kasumi clenched her hands together. The katana appeared, and Nodoka laid it down on the table before her. She folded her hands before the katana and looked up at Ranma, her eyes steeled.

"The circumstances were unavoidable. I have had three years to truly question the gods' hands in our lives and the fate that plays out." Nodoka started. "Ranma, long time ago, your father set out to make you a man among men. However, you returned to me, half man and half woman. I questioned the fate." She paused. "I saw it as a failure, on both your father and your part. Honor demanded to be restored. But as you tried to find the cure and prove yourself over and over that you are a man among men, I reconsidered the meaning of honor." She reached out and took the katana blade out of its sheath and held it, reflecting her thought on the steely edge.

"When I learned that you were dead. I considered this." She raised her eyes to her son's face. "I considered joining you in the afterworld. All I had was a piece of your shirt and your pigtail." Her voice cracked. "But after few days, I realized, I had to live and live for Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi. They needed me as I needed them. We became family. Your father disappeared, and I have not heard from him since. I've received rumors of where he was and what he was doing." Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Then when you called, I was so happy that you were alive and back. But, when you told me you wanted to wait before seeing me. I was hurt, angry, and upset." She glanced over to Kasumi. "She was able to help me to see that you needed time to adjust. I also thought on that. I have done so much reflecting in the past three years."

She placed the sword down and laid her hands on her lap. She looked at her son. "You've grown. Fate had led you to a life that made you the person who you are today. I have come to learn that even your father and I can't control what happened to you. I have come to accept that honor is not always as it seems to be." She pulled out a wrinkled folded paper. Ranma immediately recognized it to be the vow he and his father wrote a long time ago before he set out on his journey. "This is…" She unfolded it and straightened it out carefully, to reveal a child scrawl and a handprint on it. She smiled wistfully. "Null and void. You have proved to me that you are above all men and even women." She took the paper and ripped it up into shreds. "Ranma. I am proud to call you my child."

Ranma closed his eyes, realizing he had tears tracks down his cheeks and bowed his head. "Thank you, Mother."

"Mama?" Everyone's head turned to Nabiki. She had a fist to her mouth and was suckling on it. "Hawgry."

Kuno face-faulted, "What a timing, Nabiki."

Ranma laughed and took the child into his lap. He shrugged his jacket off and looked up to see Kasumi hand him a glass of water and gave her a thankful smile. He dumped the water carefully over his head, to not splash Nabiki.

Nodoka watched with fascination, she had long taken the katana blade and sheathed it and placed it aside away from everyone. She watched as Ranma fed her daughter. The act Ranma had done with Nabiki was something women had done for thousands of years, and yet, Ranma was doing it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Gender division blurred. She felt as if a whole new world opened before her.

Ranma looked up to see her mother watch her with tears in her eyes. She realized they were happy tears. She smiled.

Kuno drank his tea quietly as he watched on. He was happy for Ranma. Happy that Nabiki had gained a grandmother. Once Ranma finished feeding their daughter, he watched as Ranma introduce Nabiki to her grandmother. The older woman and the child hit it off. Then he realized, his place in Ranma's life was still questionable to the elder Saotome woman.

Nodoka held Nabiki in her lap, rocking and signing the soft lullaby, putting the drowsy child to sleep. Once the toddler was out, she looked up to find Ranma had changed back and was quietly talking to Kuno. There was still one matter left to do.

"Ranma." She started, and they became quiet, turning to her. "I know the engagement between you and Akane are over. What I don't understand is the relationship you and Kuno have now."

Ranma glanced at Kuno, seeing the insecurity in his eyes. He patted his hand before turning to his mother and steeled his posture. "Kuno and I are in a relationship. We are Nabiki's parent, and we are also lovers."

Nodoka frowned. It was unmanly… right. Things are different now. If it were the other way with Akane, it would have been the same thing but in reverse. "I see. Its none of my business even though I don't understand or have to like it. But I would like to know, are you honorable?" She directed the question to the young man beside Ranma.

Kuno leveled his gaze to the older woman. He could see where Ranma had gotten her feature from, she bore the same feature as the woman and knew Ranma would become a very handsome middle-aged woman/man when she/he becomes older. "If you ask if my intention with Ranma is pure and honest, then yes." He glanced at his lover. "I love Ranma, in both forms. We understand each other when no one can understand us. I can't see myself without him. It would be very hard. You have my promise that I am honorable to Ranma and our daughter, Nabiki."

"That's all I need to know. Thank you, Kuno." Nodoka said looking down to Nabiki, "She is so beautiful. Amazing."

Ranma squeezed Kuno's hand.

* * *

Ranma looks up and sees Kuno acting strangely in the doorway.

Kuno stood there at the entrance, with a towel hung low on his waist, barely hanging on. He pulled the second towel from his head and ran his fingers through his curly locks. "Ranma…"

The younger martial artist looked up from the book he was reading. "Tatewaki?" A part of him, the female side appreciated the vision before him. Kuno did have a very good physique, broad shoulder and narrow waist, lithe coiled muscles. His eyes roamed the other man's figure, and he realized he was becoming hard. He placed the book down on his lap to hide his reaction and asked, "Yeah?"

Kuno walked to the end of the bed, gazing at Ranma with apprehension in his eyes. "I… well…" He dropped the towel he had used to dry his head and then pulled the towel at his waist away, exposing himself.

Ranma raised an eyebrow, noticing Kuno was semi-hard. He held his hand out to invite him into bed, anticipating what would come. Kuno lowered himself to the bed, crawling over to Ranma and kissed him.

He leaned back slightly, "I'd like to try… tonight."

Ranma's eyes widened. "You mean…" He glanced over Kuno's shoulder to his bum. "You sure?"

"Had been preparing myself for this," Kuno said as he sat up, straddling Ranma's legs, pulling at the tank top, helping Ranma out of it. "Mentally for a while and the whole week, to get used to the idea and the feel… The things you bought were helpful." He scooted down slightly, pulling the boxer off, to find his lover erect and ready. "I guess you're also ready."

Ranma laughed softly. "Only if you are. So, you want me to?"

"Only you can do this to me," Kuno admitted and lowered himself where he could kiss and lick the other man's shaft, teasing him. He took the hard rod into his mouth, causing Ranma to throw his head back in ecstasy and thrust into his mouth.

Ranma gripped Kuno's damp curly hair, enjoying the feel of the curls between his fingers and how they brushed against his skin. He gasped softly and gripped the hair tighter, "Ah, don't make me finish before we can start." He pushed at Kuno's shoulder and rearranged them where he was on top of the bigger man. He rocked himself against Kuno, their hardness rubbing together.

Kuno gripped Ranma's thighs, gazing up at his lover through hooded lids. "I'm ready when you are."

Ranma nodded and leaned over to pull a condom packet out and tore it open. He slipped the protective sheath on and grabbed the lube that Kuno had fished out in the meanwhile.

"Plenty to make it comfortable." Ranma murmured and applied generously to his member and gave Kuno a quick rub for later. He applied more onto his fingers and tossed the bottle aside within reach. He lifted one of Kuno's long and powerful leg to rest against his shoulder. He watched Kuno as he slowly slipped his hand below the sack and circled the rim. He pushed a finger in, and Kuno gave a small gasp. He added another, finding no resistance from the other man.

Soon, he was thrusting three fingers, stretching and teasing the sensitive spot within the hole. Kuno had thrown his head back and fought moans that were rising in his throat. His hips jerked in rhythm against Ranma's fingers.

Finally, Ranma withdrew and grasped his manhood, pressing against the tight ring, rubbing around. Kuno looked down, watching Ranma watching him. He gave the nod and exhaled.

Ranma pushed in slowly and bit back a gasp. It was tight and hot. He inched a little bit more and found himself being sucked in deeper. Kuno inhaled sharply and gripped the bedsheet.

Concerned, "You okay?" Ranma asked as he paused.

"Don't pull out. It's just weird. Give me a bit to get used to it." Kuno barely whispered. He took several breaths and nodded.

Ranma pushed the rest of the way in slowly until he was to the hilt. He swallowed, Kuno was so tight and squeezing him. It felt good. He has no idea how it compared to a woman vagina, but he supposed it was close enough. He pulled a little, and Kuno's eyes were wet with tears. He gave a concerned face, worried he was hurting Kuno.

"Keep going. Slowly." Kuno replied as a tear escaped from his eye. "I'm fine. It's just really intense."

Ranma nodded and pushed in again. He repeated the motion several times slowly, relishing in the sensation. It felt too good. Kuno started to make exotic sounds, and they started to pick up the speed, meeting with every thrust.

Ranma groaned as he felt his end coming and grasped Kuno's manhood and rubbed him along in a time of his thrust. "Almost."

"Yes... ah, there." Kuno felt as if stars were exploding in his eyes every time Ranma hit his prostate. "Yes, yes... more." He arched his hips higher to make Ranma hit harder and deeper. He grasped the bed with white-knuckles grips.

Ranma groaned as he pulled Kuno closer and bent over, shaking as he kept thrusting until he shuddered and exploded. He let out a loud groan.

Kuno's vision went white as orgasm so intense racked his body, causing him to spurt all over their chests with thick white goo. He shook as Ranma gave several more pumps, shuddering each time until he collapsed on top of him.

"Takewaki..." Ranma breathed hard as he laid on top of his lover. "That was... wow..."

"Yes, amazing..." Kuno murmured into Ranma's sweaty hair, enjoying the musk. "You might wanna try it too."

"Maybe," Ranma said and sat back up, slowly slipping out and discarded the condom. He grabbed the towel and cleaned them up before curling up beside Kuno.

"I love you," Kuno said sleepily as he kissed Ranma's shoulder, too spent to move another inch.

"And I, you too." Ranma smiled, "never thought I'd do this."

"Me either."

Ranma looked up to Kuno. "Would this make us any less manly?"

Kuno frowned, looking at his lover. "Do you feel any less manly?"

"No."

"Then, there's your answer."

"What about you?"

Kuno gave a soft chuckle. "On the contrary, I feel more manly because this takes a lot of courage to do it. It's much more intense, and the orgasm is stronger. It's strange... the prostate spot is inside where it is "forbidden." Don't you think?"

Ranma yawned. "I'd rather not question our biology. I am already weird as it is."

Kuno laughed and pulled Ranma close and closed his eyes.

* * *

Note:

Epilogue up next. I had fun writing this story and it prompted me to write another Kuno/Ranma story. But I don't know about posting it yet. I gotta get back to Soundless and The King and the Summoner.


	6. Chapter 6

**Finding Bliss**

Epilogue

* * *

Nabiki giggled as she swatted her mother's hand. "Mama!" She grasped Ranma's finger and squealed as she was mercilessly tickled.

Ranma scooped his daughter up and nudged his nose into her chubby belly. "Silly Nabichan!"

"Mama!" Nabiki yelled joyously as Ranma got up and twirled her in the air.

"Now, are you hungry?"

"Ya! Food!" Nabiki giggled and took off in her bumbling run toward the kitchen once Ranma let her down.

Ranma chased after her and entered the kitchen to find Kuno there, having already prepared lunch and was putting Nabiki in her high chair. He watched as Kuno hand Nabiki her prepared food.

He went to the table and took the plate handed to him by Kuno.

"How is teaching classes going so far?" Kuno asked as he sat down.

Ranma nodded as he swallowed his bite of the sandwich. "Good. We got more students enrolling. The dojo master wanted me to put in more hours. I told him to wait a little while longer. I'd like to enroll Nabiki to the toddler class soon."

Kuno glanced at his daughter, who was eating messily. "It would do her good."

"Yeah," Ranma replied. "How about you?"

Kuno shrugged, "Work is okay." He had started to work for his uncle's company as a salaryman. It was not much, but it gave him time outside the house and among the others. "It wasn't hard to pick up the gist of the business. Uncle thinks he wants to take me on as an intern soon, for management business."

Ranma's eyes widened. "Already so soon?"

"He has no heir of his own. As hierarchy goes in the family, I am the next in the line for the business. It would do me good to learn, so one day I would take over the business."

"Well, if you like it, that's good."

"The only downside is," Kuno said, "I don't want to take away my time with the family. Uncle doesn't know about you yet."

"Oh. How come not?"

"He's very traditionalist. My father was the odd one out."

"Well, that's an understatement." Ranma chuckled as he finished his lunch and started to wipe Nabiki's face and pick her out of the high chair. He grasped the bottle and held her as she started to drink herself to sleep in his arm. Ranma rocked her softly, stroking her curly black hair that was tied in pigtails.

Kuno quietly cleaned up the mess and returned to the table, holding his hand out for Ranma to take. The other man complied and allowed Kuno to lead him to the living room. He laid the sleeping Nabiki in the playpen and covered her with a blanket.

"I have something for you," Kuno said as he handed an envelope to Ranma.

Ranma frowned and took the envelope. "I don't need anything."

Kuno half smirked, "I know. Actually, this gift is more for both of us. Consider it our anniversary gift."

Ranma looked up, "Anniversary? Do we even have one?"

Kuno shrugged. "It's about the time of the year that we first, uh, became a couple. Four years now."

Ranma blinked, realizing the time had gone so fast. "Four years... wow." He opened the envelope and took out two plane tickets. He read the destination. "Jusenkyo?" He looked up, his eyes widened. "Why? There is no spring of drowned man there. So why bother?"

Kuno shook his head. "Not for you. For me."

"What?" Ranma looked bemused.

The older man stepped up and wrapped his arm around Ranma's waist. He leaned his forehead to rest on Ranma's head. "I have been thinking about it for a while now. I'd like to share your experience. To be a woman sometime."

Ranma's breath hitched. He closed his eyes. It had never occurred to him before, but now, he found he wanted Kuno to do it too. "Are you sure? It's lifetime."

Kuno smiled. "Yes. I figured. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Might as well make it balanced between us. The spring of the drowned girl is there, right?"

"Yes." Ranma tilted his head up and kissed Kuno. "Thank you. I... I didn't even think of it."

"You never wanted anyone to be cursed as you were, that's why it never crossed your mind. I want to understand you better and make this official." He grasped him tighter. "Ranma, it won't be a curse for me, rather a blessing. You've helped me to look at love beyond all forms."

"And you, me too." Ranma wrapped his arms around Kuno's neck and kissed him deeply.

* * *

Ranma looked out to the cursed springs, Juskenkyo, from the top of the cliff. It seemed so long ago that he was here last, with his father and having no idea what would hold for him. He grimaced, nothing good usually come out from this place. Except, finding bliss with Kuno.

"Here, Niiannichuan." The guide said as they approached the spring. He then walked away, muttering to himself that there were too many people running around with cursed forms.

Kuno looked at the small pond. It was strange. The spring of drowned man would not have canceled out the girl side of Ranma, but add to it so that it would have been a moot point. This Ranma had learned from Saffron and the others. With that, it had Ranma seeking the cure elsewhere, and it had cost them so much.

Ranma turned to Kuno, "Are you sure? You know it's no going back."

Kuno laughed weakly. "We didn't come all the way out here for nothing. I want to share this with you. Make it fair." He took Ranma's hand and squeezed it. "It's bound to make things interesting."

Ranma chuckled and glanced at the mirror-like pond. Their reflection stared back up at them. "Yes." Then it came to him, and he laughed. Kuno frowned bemusedly. Ranma shook his head and replied, "this time around, you get pregnant."

Kuno's eyes widened and then he face-faulted. "Yeah, fair is fair." he grinned. He looked down at the water nervously. "Will it hurt?"

Ranma shook his head, "No." Then he abruptly shoved Kuno right into the pond, sidestepping the splash. He chuckled, the look on Kuno's face was priceless when he went in.

Kuno shot up to the surface, yelling, "Hey! That was..." then stopped, to look down and gasp, grasping her chest. "Boobs?" She looked up at a grinning Ranma. "Oh."

"Come out, let's get a good look at you." Ranma waited as Kuno came out of the pond and handed her towel. He watched as she stripped the sopping wet clothes and admired the new form of Kuno. She didn't become much shorter as Ranma had. She had a lithe body, not unlike Kodachi. Small breasts, tiny waist, curvy hips, miles long legs. Her eyelashes were thick and gorgeous, framing her brown eyes seductively. Her short brown curly hair framed her heart-shaped face, making her look sexy.

Once she was dry, Ranma approached her. "Wow... you're gorgeous. You could be a model."

Kuno rolled his eyes and pouted. "So, now I'm a girl."

"A woman," Ranma pointed out. He wrapped his hand around her tiny waist and pulled her close. "In a small way, you do look like Kodachi. But not so much. I like this." He smiled as he traced his free hand across her face and down her body, exploring the new form.

Kuno frowned, "So, you prefer this?"

Ranma blinked, there was uncertainty tone laced with the question, and he understood. He had thought and felt the same way, but vice-versa. He stepped back and held her hand. "I love you, Tate. Either way, same as you love me in both of my bodies. This is just a bonus to our already weird relationship, as you said, it balances us out."

Kuno squeezed his hand and nodded. "Yes, that's why I was willing to do this." She looked down at her body, taking it in. It was strange. "This is going to get some getting used to."

"At least you got me to help you out. I didn't know when I first changed and at fifteen."

Kuno looked up to Ranma and the implicitly of what Ranma had to go through all those years. He felt remorse, sadness, and guilt. "I am so sorry," she blubbered as tears spilled from her eyes, and she started to sob.

Ranma chuckled nervously. "Ah, damn. It's fine. I am over it. Please don't cry!" He grabbed her and hugged her as she cried. Being female makes you more sensitive to many things. He scolded himself for not forewarning Kuno. "It's fine."

Kuno nodded and sniffled; she had not accounted for her emotion to be extra sensitive. She took the offered dry clothes from Ranma and got dressed.

Ranma gave her an appreciative smile, "This is going to be fun."

Kuno looked at him and narrowed her eyes, "Hentai." Then they laughed.

Together they left Jusenkyo, hand in hand.

* * *

Ranma rolled over to his side to find Kuno sitting up and eating a bowl of cereal. He smirked and sat up. "Late night snack?"

Kuno gave a pretty scowl on her feminine face, "Shut it."

Ranma reached out and rubbed the swell of Kuno's belly. They were expecting their second child soon. He felt the strong kick nudge against his hand and grinned with pride. "He's a kicker."

Kuno nodded and rubbed her belly. She was glowing. "Yeah. He's restless, that's why I woke up." She placed the empty bowl aside and turned to Ranma. "Mm... I'm hungry for something else."

"Oh yeah?" Ranma asked as he moved to straddle his pregnant lover and leaned down to kiss her, his hands roaming down the curvaceous body and plump breasts that was full of milk for their new child.

"Please... just fuck me and get it over with!" Kuno begged.

"Mmm," Ranma replied. "You're bad as I was."

"Shut it," Kuno muttered and pulled him down for another kiss and their bodies intertwined into age-old dance.

"Ahh..." Kuno exhaled as orgasm shivered through her body before she slumped down, melting into the bed.

Ranma rolled over, breathing heavy. "Wow..." He turned his head to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm." She replied. "Blissful."

Ranma smiled and wrapped his hand around her belly, rubbing the swell, the golden band on the third finger glinted in the low light. "Yeah." He kissed her neck and snuggled beside her.

They fell asleep together, dreaming of their new addition to their family and future.

They've found their bliss.

 **The End**

* * *

 **Note:**

That's it. No more.

I've enjoyed writing this alternative ending. The idea of Kuno becoming girl like Ranma just popped in my head as I got closer to the end. I have not expected for the story to drag out a bit longer but I am happy with how it turned out. Once again, I wrote this story purely for entertainment and not to criticize the original writers of the original story.

Thank you for reading!


End file.
